Rotorua's first Sikh police officer

Constable Shami Singh is the first Sikh police officer in Rotorua. Photo/Stephen Parker

The first time Constable Shami Singh tried on his police uniform he didn't want to take it off. Now the new police college graduate is working the beat for real and making his presence known as the first Sikh police officer in the Rotorua area.

The 21-year-old former Rotorua Boys' High School student had wanted to join the police for a long time but thought it would be out of his reach as he did not know how to swim.

But he enrolled in swimming lessons and would visit the Rotorua Aquatic Centre every morning and the Polynesian Spa every evening to try to boost his chances. He passed the swimming test within two months. The test involves a 3m duck dive, five minutes treading water and 50m in under 54 seconds.

"I've always looked up to being a police officer but it was the swimming that held me back," he said. "I went to a seminar and that pulled me in."

He enrolled on the police preparation course run by Te Wananga O Aotearoa. This was then followed by 18 weeks at the Police National College. He started at the Rotorua station two weeks ago.

"I'm loving it," he said. "Everything the police does, helping the community, dealing with people. I'm excited by being in the police. The first time I put on my uniform I didn't want to take it off."

Bay of Plenty Police iwi liaison officer Sergeant Lehi Hohaia said his ethnicity had already helped.

"The first night on beat patrol they came across a group of Indian boys fighting and he was able to prevent that situation from escalating," Mr Hohaia said.

"We have a big Indian community here. As soon as they saw him they went over to him, even though there was a dog handler there."

Mr Singh's career path has already proven to be influential - he has two friends at police college who were inspired by his example. One will go to Tauranga while the other will join Mr Singh in Rotorua in about four months.

He is originally from Amritsar in India and moved with his family to Te Puke when he was 9. Three years later they moved to Rotorua - his parents own Dianne Dairy on Tutanekai St. He speaks English, Punjabi and Hindi.