Attestation for 78 recruits from Wing 308 of the RNZPC

Sixteen weeks of hard work come to fruition tomorrow for 78 new Police recruits, who will celebrate with their attestation parade at the Royal New Zealand Police College.

Serving their community is something Wing 308 prides itself on, as it includes a number of people with extensive volunteering backgrounds, such as Bluelight, LandSAR, community patrols, Fire and Emergency NZ, and St John.

Dean Lovell-Shippey, who will be posted to Counties Manukau District, launched a charity in 2015 that raises money to rescue children caught up in sex slavery.
‘Find Her Smile’ became a fully registered charity within a year, and had raised enough money to help rescue eight girls trapped in slavery.

It also provided Lovell-Shippey with the opportunity to speak at more than 40 community, school, and university engagements.

“Upon graduating Auckland University of Technology in November 2016, I put my charity on hold in hopes of pursuing a career with the NZ Police.

It is with the skills I gain from the NZ Police that I hope to one day travel back to Indonesia and Thailand and become a rescue agent myself,” Lovell-Shippey says.
Also bringing international experience to his new role is Marthinus Keeve, who at 44 years old is the oldest recruit in Wing 308.

Five of the wing are aged 41 and older.

Born in South Africa, he has been a game ranch manager, a safari guide and a hunting guide, spending many years in wildlife preservation, notably raising and reintroducing cheetah into the wild.

“These places [where he has worked] are often remote and have presented a fair share of challenges around cultural integration, which has helped me develop an understanding of differences, and effects on each other,” says Keeve, who is posted to Northland District.

There are a number of recruits who have served in the NZ armed forces - RNZAF, NZ Army and the Royal NZ Navy - who have been deployed to Afghanistan, East Timor, the Solomon Islands, Australia, and Antarctica.

Several recruits have worked for Police in other roles, such as emergency call-takers and dispatchers, and as Authorised Officers.
Present at tomorrow’s attestation will be patron of Wing 308, Gráinne Moss, who is currently the Chief Executive of the Ministry for Vulnerable Children, Oranga Tamariki.

The new recruits are posted as follows:
District Breakdown Number
Northland 4
Waitemata 7
Auckland 8
Counties Manukau 8
Waikato 8
Bay of Plenty 9
Eastern 5
Central 7
Wellington 10
Canterbury 7
Southern 5

Awards to be presented during tomorrow’s Attestation parade:
• The Commissioner’s Award for Leadership (in recognition of outstanding potential to lead self and others) is awarded to Constable Robert Manson, posted to Waitemata District.
• The Minister’s Award for First in Wing is awarded to Constable Rebecca Hodge, posted to Wellington District.
• The Patron’s Award for Second in Wing is awarded to Constable Beth Bates, posted to Waitemata District.
• Constable Aidan Leslie is awarded the Physical Training and Defensive Tactics Award.

He is posted to Bay of Plenty District.
• Constable Kimberley Vedder is awarded the Driver Training and Road Policing Practice Award.

She is posted to Bay of Plenty District.
• The Firearms Award, for firearms skills and safe practices, goes to Constable Morgan Ward, who is posted to Waikato District.

The Attestation Parade for Wing 308 will take place at the Royal New Zealand Police College on Thursday 26 October at 2pm.

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

ENDS

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