More police for Bay of Plenty

Four new constables will be brought to the Bay of Plenty as part of this year's New Zealand Police graduation.

Tomorrow a total of 58 new constables from Wing 313 and two narcotic detector dogs will graduate at the Royal New Zealand Police College.

The ceremony will also see two Northern Territory police officers and a Cook Island police officer, graduate from the Narcotic Detector Dog Handlers Course run by the NZ Police Dog Training Centre.

Inspector Todd Southall, national coordinator of police dogs, said the graduation was another milestone for the role that New Zealand Police had in helping build dog section capability in the Northern Territories and in the Pacific.

"We have a key role in helping maintain training and development, as well as the supply of dogs to the island nations," Inspector Southall says.

"It's about helping protect our neighbours and protecting our borders."

Senior Constable Dean McKie from the Northern Territory Police was graduating with Detector Dog 'Hugo' who was bred at the Dog Training Centre.

McKie will be attached to the Substance Abuse Intelligence Desk.

Sergeant Tyron Bellman from the Northern Territory Police is currently an operational handler and is the Detection Training Sergeant for the entire Northern Territory Police.
Tomorrow he graduates as a Detector Dog Instructor.

Notable guests attending tomorrow's graduation include Wing 313 patron, Secretary of Defence and chief executive of the Ministry of Defence, Helene Quilter, Minister of Police Stuart Nash, MP for Mana Kris Faafoi and deputy commissioner Mike Clement.

The new constables will be deployed across the country as follows:
Northland 4
Waitemata 8
Auckland 9
Counties Manukau 12
Waikato 8
Bay of Plenty 4
Central 3
Wellington 5
Canterbury 3
Southern 4