Former Northland policewoman features on TV

Tracy Phillips on the streets of Whangarei. Photo/John Stone

Inspector Tracy Phillips is riding high in the television series Women in Blue.

The former police area commander for Whangarei and Kaipara is one of seven female officers in the reality TV show which follows them as they combat crime and support victims in a range of frontline roles.

Now stationed in Auckland as the senior professional standards manager, Ms Phillips has featured prominently in the eight-episode series. In the most recent show, she was filmed on the beat aboard her trusty equine companion.

The top-rating show - attracting more viewers than Shortland Street - has meant that the people she deals with on the beat are beginning to recognise her.

When called to a domestic incident in South Auckland last week, she was recognised by a man: "He was sitting on the couch and asked if I was Tracy Phillips and then told me he'd seen me on TV."

Ms Phillips said the series was a great opportunity for the public to see what policing was like from the beat.

"And it shows people we are not machines, we are human," she said.

The number of women in New Zealand's police ranks has increased by 46 per cent in 10 years and they now make up nearly 20 per cent of 8845 staff.

Ms Phillips was in Northland for just over a year before heading south in January.

Women In Blue is on Tuesdays at 7.30pm on TV ONE.