New Whanganui police officer wants to help save lives in his community

New police officer Khan-Lee Docherty will start work in Whanganui this month. Photo / Supplied

Whanganui’s newest police officer hopes to provide protection and save lives in the community he grew up in.

Khan-Lee Docherty said he enrolled to become a police officer to be able to help protect the community and be there for someone on their darkest day.

Docherty is from Rātana and has lived in the Whanganui area for most of his life, so he viewed a police career as a way of giving back to the community that gave so much to him.

It was his goal to save lives in his role.

Docherty was one of 62 new officers who graduated this week from 366 Police Wing at Te Rauparaha Arena in Porirua.

The multicultural wing included officers who were born in the Netherlands, Vietnam, Argentina and Hungary.

In attendance at the ceremony were Police Commissioner Andrew Coster, Prime Minister Chris Hipkins, Police Minister Ginny Andersen and wing patron Keriana Brooking.

Docherty said his time in the initial training course had been challenging but “a good type of challenge”.

In particular, he said the academic side of training proved difficult because he had been out of college for a few years so had to readjust to study.

However, the training opened his eyes to what police work was and prepared him to take up his role in the community.

He begins work in Whanganui on June 12.