This was an issue for some potential recruits and they decided it would be too much for them to take on. No doubt it does put pressure on the home front and can be a major inconvenience. This was probably the case for the thousands of police officers who proudly passed out at the RNZPC after their initial training.
I suspect they too would have loved to go home every night to familiar surroundings. But this was never an option.
Porirua is where the purpose built residential training college was established. As new recruits this is where you went to undertake your basic training.
Inspector Iain Saunders of the RNZPC, said the 20 recruits would receive the same training as they would at the police college, but would be able to go home at the end of the day.
I think there's a lot to be said for the initial training to be undertaken at the RNZPC. It's not only about the location, specific training received and having all the resources in one place. It's about the opportunity, while living together, for recruits to develop relationships and lifelong friendships with the others who will become police officers too.
So often I have found when staying together as a group, be it for training or attending a conference, you get talking and you get to know about people and their lives. To me a large part of policing is about knowing people, their diverse cultures and backgrounds.
I visited the RNZPC many years ago for a speaking engagement. Opened in 1981 it is a sprawling campus set on a hillside. This is where past and present police officers would have done their training. It has a reputation our country can be justifiably proud of.
The New Zealand Police want to ensure their training remains relevant and up to date. Fit for purpose in 2018. And they are recruiting to make sure their trainees mirror the communities they come from. Yes it would be difficult for some recruits being away from home for a considerable length of time but this is police training, not a walk in the park.
This is where you need to be fully present.
I think training and living together will always deliver the best training outcomes. Going home every night doesn't allow recruits the time to relax completely or perhaps undertake additional study in areas that need strengthening.
Family life can be demanding. It is important and should not be neglected but when you are committed to getting a job you put plans in place to look after home and family.
Going home every night could prove a distraction and trying to get to class on time is challenging enough for most students. For police recruits trying to get out the front door at home in the morning in time to avoid the Auckland traffic snare ups means they'll arrive for class already under stress.
Porirua offers recruits a fresh, rested and energised mind every morning to meet the demands of the rigorous daily training programme.
Inspector Saunders said police were undertaking a recruitment drive to get more people to sign up. Providing training in Auckland is an attempt to reduce some of the barriers preventing those who would make excellent police officers from joining the force.
It does make me wonder about recruits who can't cover their home situation during their initial training period. What else are they likely to find difficult to manage once they graduate?
I hope those who complete their police training in Auckland will be just as "fit for purpose" as those who train at the RNZPC in Porirua.
