The Police Minister, George Hawkins, said today that over 1800 Aucklanders have requested information on how to join the Police, in response to a new recruitment campaign.

The new campaign was launched on 20 August, and is designed to attract an extra 600-700 new recruits. It is particularly designed to get more Maori, Pacific Islanders, Asians and women on the beat.

"Gerry Eckhoff incorrectly claimed in Parliament yesterday that Aucklanders have not expressed much interest in police careers, but he couldn't be more wrong. In the three weeks after the campaign began, 1820 Aucklanders called 0800 NEW COPS and requested an information pack," said Mr Hawkins.

The callers rang from the following areas:
Counties Manukau, 720
North Shore/Waitakere, 701
Auckland Central, 399

Mr Hawkins said that nationwide a total of 4,495 information packs had been requested in the same three-week period.

"I am extremely pleased with the interest so far, and look forward to seeing a diverse range of men and women joining the ranks of the New Zealand Police," said Mr Hawkins.

Ends

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Gordon Campbell: On the Sony cyber attack

Given the layers of meta-irony involved, the saga of the Sony cyber attack seemed at the outset more like a snarky European art film than a popcorn entry at the multiplex.

Yet now with (a) President Barack Obama weighing in on the side of artistic freedom and calling for the US to make a ‘proportionate response’quickly followed by (b) North Korea’s entire Internet service going down, and with both these events being followed by (c) Sony deciding to backtrack and release The Interview film that had made it a target for the dastardly North Koreans in the first place, then ay caramba…the whole world will now be watching how this affair pans out. More>>