76 new constables looking to lead the way

Wednesday, 29 October 2014 - 3:19pm

Seventy-six new constables will graduate from The Royal New Zealand Police College in Wing 287 tomorrow. Their wing patron is Wellington leadership development professional, Denise Church QSO.

Wing 287 graduating constables have come to The Royal New Zealand Police College from all over the country, and all over the world. They join New Zealand Police with a broad range of backgrounds and life achievements. Some former occupations include ski instructor, emergency medical technician, divemaster, teacher, butcher and baker.

There is an international flavour to the wing with members’ countries of birth spanning the globe, including Germany, UK, Australia, Singapore, Canada, India, Fiji, and Austria.

A family of leaders
Graduating Constable Braden Drew knows a lot about policing. Before joining the New Zealand Police as a police officer, Mr Drew worked on the volume crime desk in Lower Hutt, and then as an intelligence analyst for Wellington District.

“While working in my previous roles, I came to admire the work police officers did,” says Mr Drew. “For me, they were all role models and this ultimately led me to apply to become a police officer.”

His knowledge and admiration for the Police doesn’t just come from his previous roles. Mr Drew’s father, Detective Superintendent Rod Drew, is the National Manager: Criminal Investigations based at Police National Headquarters.

“Growing up, my family moved around a lot with dad and his work. I came into contact with a lot of things to do with police and I believe this first gave me the idea of becoming a police officer.”

Constable Drew has been awarded the Commissioner’s Award for Leadership, which is in recognition of outstanding potential to lead self and others.

Of this, Detective Superintendent Drew said he was “very proud of Braden for his award”, but would also like to acknowledge all the members of Wing 287 who will be future leaders in their own communities.

Constable Drew is being posted to Wellington District.

Handy work for new constable
Also graduating tomorrow is Constable Luke Ronaki who wants to be a better role model for his whanau, and to build a stronger relationship between his iwi and police.

Mr Ronaki is also handy with his hands, and has a strong interest in kapa haka, ta moko and whakairo. With his previous talents in kapa haka, Mr Ronaki will be leading the New Zealand Police Haka at tomorrow’s ceremony, which honours their wing patron, recruit instructors and New Zealand Police.

Sign language is Constable Ronaki’s first language, as his parents are profoundly deaf, and there will be an interpreter attending the ceremony to sign for them.

“By having NZ Sign Language as my first language, I will be able to connect with this section of the community and continue to build strong relationships with a diverse range of people.”

Constable Ronaki is being posted to Counties Manukau District.

Helping new kinds of “victims”
Constable Danielle Thrussell knows what it’s like to look after those in need. For the past five years, Miss Thrussell has volunteered at the SPCA in Auckland, helping out at the shelter while also fostering a variety of animals including day-old kittens, puppies and other small animals.

“I’ve always worked with a vulnerable part of society in my work at the SPCA, but I’m looking forward to helping a different part of society in my new role,” says Miss Thrussell. “Assisting victims of crime is crucial in my new role, and helping the vulnerable has always been a big part of who I am.”

Some of Miss Thrussell’s time at the Auckland SPCA was spent as an outreach therapy volunteer, which involved visiting rest homes in the area with one of her two dogs to help improve the day-to-day lives of the elderly residents.

In 2012, as part of the Queen’s Golden Jubilee, Constable Thrussell received a Golden Jubilee Award for Services to the Auckland SPCA alongside several other volunteers.

Constable Thrussell is being posted to Counties Manukau District.

Wing 287 award winners:

The Minister’s Award for First in Wing was awarded to Constable Daniel Sawyer, posted to Central. This award recognises the top student after the collation of all course assessments.

The Patron’s Award for Second in Wing was awarded to Constable Braden Drew, posted to Wellington. This award recognises the second top student after the collation of all course assessments. Constable Drew was also awarded the Commissioner’s Award for Leadership (in recognition of outstanding potential to lead self and others). The Commissioner’s Award for Leadership is supported by the Porirua City Council.

The Prevention Award (for demonstration of operational skills and prevention practices) was awarded to Constable Kate Korach, posted to Northland. This award is supported by the Crimestoppers Trust.

The Response Award (for demonstration of safe practices and tactical skills) was awarded to Constable Sheena Tepania, posted to Counties Manukau.
Graduation will take place at The Royal New Zealand Police College on Thursday 30 October at 2:00pm. The ceremony will be attended by the Police Minister, the Hon Michael Woodhouse, Police Commissioner Mike Bush and Patron Denise Church QSO along with members of the Police Executive.

ENDS

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