Glen Osborne has been in his new role for the past seven months. Photo / Bevan Conley
Former All Black Glen Osborne's new role as community constable in Waverley has taken him back to his roots.
Mike Tweed visits him in the South Taranaki town.
Waverley holds particular significance to Glen Osborne.
The former All Black was born and raised nearby Waitotara Valley and the area played a big part in his life before he moved to Auckland to pursue his rugby career.
"As young fellas we used to do a lot of shearing around here, out the back of Waverley, all around Maxwell, Waitotara.
"I wanted to be a part of some community policing, which is based around a country environment."
After a career in rugby and television, Osborne joined the police in 2016 and spent his first five years on the frontline in Whanganui.
There was a lot of family harm in Whanganui, which could be difficult to deal with, Osborne said.
However, those were situations where they could "make a difference as police".
"Being on the frontline for that amount of time wasn't easy, but there are some really good sergeants who are the leaders of that section and have been there for years. I take my hat off to them. They've been role models for the new ones that come in.
"They still out there doing it, 20 years later."
Dealing with recidivist offenders wasn't something that was limited to larger centres, Osborne said.
"We see a lot of the same people out here that we're dealing with all the time.
"It does sadden me a little bit, that we can't influence some people and we can't change them for the better. We try, but that's life, you know?"
Osborne said one of the most important parts of being a community constable was conversing with people because in a rural centre you actually had the time to communicate.
"If you walk down the street and see someone, you say 'kia ora bro, how are you?'.
"It's about telling people who you are first, and telling people that you're approachable."
Simply arresting someone wasn't always the best way to deal with situations in a place like Waverley, Osborne said.
If he needs advice in certain situations, there are experienced officers he can phone straight away for guidance.
"Sometimes you need to see if you can find another solution.
"However, if it's something that's major, and if the best way to sort it out is back at the station, then that's what we do."
An average day begins with a game of squash at 6am, before he gets to the station around 7.30am.
Paperwork is done, and jobs in the system that are associated with Waverley, Waitotara and Maxwell are attended to.
After that, it's on to the files that sit neatly on his desk.
He makes an effort to get out and have a look around more remote areas at least once a week.
"I'm a bit of a minimalist, but I'm also a fella who has to have his stuff organised, otherwise there's a bit of stress."
Osborne said one issue in Waverley at the moment was drivers doing burnouts.
"There are some older ones too, and you just think 'man, it's time to grow up'. They are still acting like teenagers.
"There are a lot of people who see it, but I think they're too scared to say anything about it. I wish people would come forward more.
"It is what it is. Maybe they are thinking about repercussions with the law, and sometimes I don't blame them. That's just the way people are."
He wasn't on call 24 hours a day, but there were numbers people could call if they had something to report if he wasn't on duty, Osborne said.
"If they can't get a hold of me, they need to call 111, or call 105 if it's not an emergency.
"Make sure it's reported, because there could be other traffic cops around who can get there real quick."
The only time he felt stressed was when he wasn't organised or when he wasn't "winning something".
"At the moment I'm involved with a rugby show called Match Fit, with a bunch of other ex-All Blacks. They talk about their life after rugby, how they feel, and the problems they've encountered after they finished playing.
"We are all in a competition, and I'm coming first for fitness. If I'm not winning that, that's when I get anxiety. I've got to win. That's just how I am.
"I wake up and look at my phone and see Eroni Clarke right up there. It's always me and him, challenging each other.
"That's how I deal with any anxiety I feel. I get out there and train harder, that's what makes me feel good."
Osborne said he was lucky to have gone straight into work after finishing his rugby career.
"A lot of the others [ex-All Blacks] didn't. I look at where they are and where I am, and I try and assist them in a way that can help them.
"They are always asking for advice, and it's quite beautiful really, when your mates ask you, how did you cope with this and that?"
Back in Waverley, Osborne said the local community was strongly influenced by farming and its rugby club - Border.
"I've known a lot of the people who support that club for many years, and I played with the likes of Guy Lennox, who's a big part of this community," Osborne said.
"He's been a good friend of mine since we played for Whanganui together many years ago."
The club was instrumental in offering younger people a path forward with their lives, and to let them know what hard work and hard training was, Osborne said.
"This isn't a big place, but they've had the best rugby team in Whanganui for the last couple of years.
"If there's a strong community base in the rugby, they'll have a strong environment in this town.
"I'm a Kaierau man myself, just so everybody knows. They've asked me to be a part of the club out here but I just say 'I can't do that mate, I'm Kaierau through and through'."
He said he thought his achievements in rugby, along with his family's history in the area, had helped break down any barriers when it came to people's views on the police.
Being real and being himself also made a massive difference.
"A lot of the time, you're dealing with people who just want to talk to you. It's not hard to do, but you still have to make that time for them.
"That's a big part of it here. People come to the station to say hello and talk about problems that sometimes aren't police matters. I just sit them down and we have a cup of tea.
"You can't really do that in frontline Whanganui."
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