Ray Smith Wing: Graduation for recruits from Wing 311 tomorrow at the RNZPC

Sixteen weeks of hard work come to fruition tomorrow for 77 new Police recruits, who will celebrate with their graduation parade at the Royal New Zealand Police College.

Serving their community is something Wing 311 prides itself on, as this wing includes a number of people with extensive volunteering backgrounds.

We have Constable Zoe Kendrick and her dedication to surf lifesaving in the Northern region, Orewa and Muriwai; Constable Chris Seymour and her work helping in orphanages in Bangalore, South India, plus Constable Tracy Ward who spent nine years volunteering for the Riverton and Invercargill fire brigades. So it’s no surprise that Constable Ward has won the Commissioner’s Award for Leadership (in recognition of outstanding potential to lead self and others) for Wing 311.

She’s also a trained mechanic with an Automotive Engineering National Certificate.

Constable Michael Dodge joined the Police as he was encouraged by the Police goal of ‘Creating a safe community’.

“I know that when I graduate I will have the best job in the world”, he says.

Constable Tianjunyi (Rick) Zhang was given some excellent advice from his mother which encouraged him to join the police. She said to her son, ‘Working hard for something you don’t care for is called stress, but working hard for something you love is called passion’… “It was from that moment I decided to join the police”, says Constable Zhang.

Constables Brent Wilson and Ihaka Watene have been apiarists and both of these keen bee-keepers are New Zealand sports representatives.

Constable Wilson represented New Zealand in Rugby 7’s in 2005, and played professional rugby for 12 years in New Zealand and the United Kingdom.

Constable Wilson’s grandfather was also in Police - Detective Inspector JK Hamilton.

DI Hamilton was second in charge of the CIB in Auckland and was also head of the Armed Offenders Squad and a founding member of AOS in Wellington.

Constable Ihaka Watene played Rugby League in the United Kingdom also.

Constable Watene has won the Wing’s Physical Training and Defensive Tactics Award jointly with Constable Sam Taylor.

Wing 311 brings some recruits with interesting backgrounds and qualifications such as Constable Simone Preston.

Constable Preston, who not only has a Certificate of Treaty of Waitangi Studies, but also two Masters degrees – one in Human Resource Management and one in Communications, a Postgraduate Diploma in Business and Administration in Communication Management, a Bachelor of Business Studies and a Bachelor of Sport Studies.

To date, she has had a varied career in events management, protocol and sports administration.

“Police College has been one of the most challenging and demanding things I have done – physically and mentally and I can’t wait to get out there and make a difference, drawing on my previous education and experiences to help shape my work,” she says.

Constable Melody Vose has qualifications very useful to Police with a certificate in Accredited Specialist Child Forensic Interviewer level three.

Also bringing interesting qualifications to the wing are Constable Arun Chawla who has a Real Estate Certificate, Warren Dunn with a National Certificate in Adult Education and Joseph Falealii with a Certificate in Barbering (III).

Constable Connor Riley will have a good grasp on things with a Bachelor of Criminology and International Relations and so should Constable Jonty Larsen with a Bachelor of Laws.

Constable Matthew Bartlett has not only a Bachelor or Laws, but also a BA in Commerce.

Three of the wing are aged 41 and older, with most of the wing, 39 recruits in fact, aged between18-24.

The oldest recruit is 47 and the youngest is aged 19.

Thirteen new Constables will go to Auckland District, five go to Bay of Plenty, eight go to Canterbury and another eight to Central District. Eight will go to Counties Manukau while six go to Northland, seven constables go to Southern, eight to Waikato, nine to Waitemata and five to Wellington.

Present at tomorrow’s attestation will be patron of Wing 311, Ray Smith, who is currently Chief Executive of New Zealand’s Department of Corrections.

He leads a workforce of 8,000 people who manage around 10,000 people in prison and 30,000 people serving sentences or orders in the community.

Ray started his career on 10 January 1983 as a frontline worker at the Department of Social Welfare’s Manukau City branch.

Since then, he has worked in a number of frontline, operational and senior management roles at Child, Youth and Family and at Work and Income.

Awards to be presented during tomorrow’s graduation parade:

The Commissioner’s Award for Leadership (in recognition of outstanding potential to lead self and others) is awarded to Constable Tracy Ward, posted to Southern District.

The Minister’s Award for First in Wing is awarded to Constable Darrell Anderson, posted to Central District.

The Patron’s Award for Second in Wing is awarded to Constable Matthew Bartlett, posted to Waitemata District.

Other awards already presented:

Constables Samuel Taylor and Ihaka Watene are jointly awarded the Physical Training and Defensive Tactics Award.

Constable Taylor is posted to Central District and Constable Watene to Counties Manukau District.

Constable Ryan Seward is awarded the Driver Training and Road Policing Practice Award.

He is posted to Counties Manukau District.

The Firearms Award, for firearms skills and safe practices, goes to Constable Jayden McVey, who is posted to Wellington District.

The Attestation Parade for Wing 311 will take place at the Royal New Zealand Police College on Thursday 1 February at 2pm.

The ceremony will be attended by Police Commissioner Mike Bush, Wing Patron Ray Smith, and other members of the Police Executive.

ENDS

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