Superintendent Matt Srhoj, Police District Commander Northland stands with Recruit Sergeant Joe Te Ao. Behind them are the nine new police recruits heading to Northland.
Superintendent Matt Srhoj, Police District Commander Northland stands with Recruit Sergeant Joe Te Ao. Behind them are the nine new police recruits heading to Northland.
Northland’s thin blue line is being strengthened with nine new police graduates coming to the region, three of them to the Far North.
The 383 Don Mann Police recruit wing graduated from the Police College on Thursday, bringing 76 new constables into service nationally. They will hit the beat from Monday.
Of the nine staff headed north, six will go to Whangārei, two to Kaikohe and one to Kaitāia — where District Recruitment Lead Sergeant Joe Te Ao is responsible for some of the recruitment.
“I’m pleased to see so many of the staff I approached myself, working towards their graduation day.
“I have several people waiting in the wings to become recruits — including three from my local gym and another three from my local coffee shop that I have encouraged to apply.
‘‘There are some people of excellent quality coming through in the next few wings, especially for Northland.”
One of those going to Kaikohe is Milanpreet Singh.
Milanpreet Singh is one of three new police officers for the Far North and will be based in Kaikohe.
“As a migrant who came to New Zealand in 2019, graduating from the Police College is a dream come true. I’m incredibly proud to now serve the country that welcomed me with open arms,‘’ he said.
‘‘Becoming a part of the New Zealand Police is more than a career, it’s my way of giving back to the community and making a real difference every day.‘’
Also joining Singh in Kaikohe is Maximilian Stovell, from Kerikeri.
“I’d always thought about joining police and with some positive feedback about the career from both family friends and some mates who went through, I decided to see if I had what it takes to make it through the training,‘’ Stovell said.
“I started the journey through the online application and got everything moving while I worked my previous job in the trades. After a short time I made it to the Scope part of the application (basically a ride-along for a few days with the local police to see if you like the look of the job).
“I loved the Scope hours and seeing my hometown of Kerikeri through the perspective of wanting to better the community, and it amped me up for the college experience where I would learn how to make the difference to people in need.
“Deployment during station duty was a great time. I really enjoyed driving around familiar streets and knowing that because of the small community in Kerikeri, I would be able to build rapport with anyone I came across. I’m excited to get home and get into it.”
New police recruit Maximilian Stovell will be based in Kaikohe from April 28.
Te Ao said the Northland-bound recruits was one of the largest cohorts in some time.
He said it was about making connections in the community and reaching out to people who you think may be a good fit to join police.
“I spotted a rugby referee who also worked as an instructor at the gym. I knew he would be great in the job. I approached him and suggested he give it a go, met him at the station, had a good chat and he applied the following week.
“I supported him throughout the whole process, and he is now at police college on Wing 386. There’s also someone graduating … who was our plumber, and it’s great to watch him graduate. These are just two of many excellent people who I’ve sought out and encouraged them to join.”
