The Royal New Zealand Police College

5 September 2007

Thirty-eight new police officers to graduate

Thirty-eight new police officers will graduate from The Royal New Zealand Police College this Thursday in Wing 242. The wing's patron is former Silver Ferns Captain and Dancing with the Stars contestant Bernice Mene.

The graduates of Wing 242 come from a wide range of backgrounds ranging from builders and chefs to a former Australian police officer. Also in the mix are recruits with tertiary qualifications in education, sports, commerce, eco-tourism and music performance to name a few. With an average age of 30 years, many have left established careers to go in a new direction with the New Zealand Police.

Three examples are Constables Ginni Chave, James Taylor-Dayus and Gillian Webster. Constable Ginni Chave, who grew up in Wellington's Hutt Valley, ended a promising career in winemaking and a future as a wine judge to follow a childhood dream - to become a police officer. Having worked and travelled extensively through South America since leaving school, Ginni became interested in the wine industry on her way home via Melbourne almost 10 years ago. She completed a post-graduate diploma in viticulture and oenology and honed her skills in vineyards in New Zealand. Ginni was encouraged by friends to renew her old wish to join the New Zealand Police and has enjoyed the 19-week training period, finding any week could throw up new challenges. Constable Chave will be stationed in Lower Hutt.

Formerly with Corrections in the UK, Scottish-born Constable James Taylor-Dayus moved to New Zealand with hopes for a better lifestyle for his young family. Since arriving in this country James has worked as a non-sworn police member in the E-bail initiative in Hamilton, which he says gave him insight into policing and how he could adapt and use his skills from over 20 years in the corrections industry. Being away from his family and focussing on the volume of new information was not easy, but James praises the College staff and 'great help processes' available at the College for assisting him to prioritise study. Constable Taylor-Dayus will be posted to Te Awamutu.

Constable Gillian Webster has spent the last 22 years in the small town of Broome, Western Australia, bringing up her family of five children with her Kiwi husband and working in child care. She has also spent the last six years as a general duties constable with the Western Australia Police. Having now moved to Rotorua to be near family Gillian has re-trained for the NZ Police. During her recent week on duty in Rotorua, Gillian was impressed with the great staff support and enthusiasm among her future colleagues. Previously fully trained in the areas of child interviewing and sexual assault investigation, Constable Webster hopes to be able to use these skills positively in her new posting.

The graduation will take place at The Royal New Zealand Police College on Thursday 6 September at 2:00pm and will be attended by Commissioner Broad.

ENDS

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