Police career comes in to focus for Colin

By KELLY BLANCHARD IN ROTORUA
A dream of joining the Police has become a reality for Rotorua man Colin Robson thanks to laser eye surgery.
Not only has the 37-year-old become a constable but he blitzed the five-month New Zealand Police College training, graduating top of his wing.
He also won an award from the instructors and section members for making the greatest contribution to the team.
Growing up in South Auckland, he was not able to join the police because he was short-sighted.
He decided instead to head overseas where he spent 12 years in the British Army's parachute regiment.
By 1999, he was in East Timor with the New Zealand Army.
After two years, he went to work as a prison officer, spending a year in Christchurch and one-and-a-half years at Waikeria Prison.
Joining the police was always in the back of his mind but he knew he would not be accepted because of his vision.
When laser eye surgery was discovered Mr Robson was adamant he would not get it done.
"There was no way I was going to let anyone touch my eyes.
"But it has been around for a bit now and has history to it so I looked into it".
Two-and-a-half years ago his vision was corrected with laser surgery.
He left the prison systems last November, bound for police college.
Mr Robson said his background helped him gain top marks at police college.
"Some of the things the other guys were stressing about were easy for me, like talking to people and dealing with people".
But Mr Robson was quick to point out that although he was top of his wing, it did not automatically mean he would be a top police officer.
"That remains to be seen".
He also was not setting his sights on special areas within the police until he knew more about the job.
"I am keeping an open mind because I don't know a great deal about it.
" I'll spend the first two years getting to know the basics and then I'll see what happens," he said.
The father of three sons under five and husband of Linda said working in Rotorua was an added bonus.
It was a good place to train because it would be busy, unlike some of the sleepy little towns some of his college colleagues headed to.
Mr Robson said he was attracted to joining the police because of the variety of the work and shift work suited his family life.
"I find you spend a lot more quality time with your family rather than wasting time watching television at night," he said.