Police College opened in Auckland

Brian from Mount Roskill

Police is celebrating the opening of the Royal New Zealand Police College (RNZPC) Auckland Campus.
The RNZPC Auckland Campus was formally opened this morning by Police Commissioner Richard Chambers, Minister of Police Mark Mitchell and Associate Minister of Police Casey Costello.
Police Commissioner Richard Chambers says the new facilities leased from Te Kunenga ki Pūrehuroa Massey University allow Police to hold senior training courses and have the added bonus of a recruit wing.
“I have made it clear my expectation is for high standards.
That starts the moment a recruit walks into Police College and continues throughout their policing career.
“To ensure those expectations are met and our front line is supported, ongoing training is essential, and the Auckland Campus will be important for holding our senior courses.
“In recent years we have had to provide more senior courses online and in districts to improve efficiency and to free up space for recruit training at RNZPC in Wellington.
“However, that is not possible for some courses and bringing people together in person is an important opportunity for staff to learn from each other as well.”
Since signing the lease, a huge amount of planning and organisation has gone into making the space fit-for-purpose in time for courses to begin on 30 June.
The first senior course at the Auckland Campus, a Leadership and Development group conference, has begun.
The facility includes multiple classrooms, a locker room, storage space, offices, car parks and dorm rooms.
Police also has access to other facilities including the gym and recreation centre.
RNZPC Auckland is also being used for recruit wing 390 which has 40 recruits.
The Patron for Wing 390 is former Prime Minister, the Rt Hon Sir John Key.
Commissioner Chambers says: “Being away from home for 20 weeks to attend recruit training in Wellington has been a deterrent for some people wanting to join Police.
“Offering training in Auckland is one of the things we can do to attract as many quality applications as possible.
“Aside from appealing to people who live in Auckland, Wing 390 has a large number of recruits from Northland who will be based in the dorms.
"Northland has been one of our priority districts for recruitment and offering training closer to home has been a real drawcard.”
The Auckland recruits will need to spend about five weeks in Porirua for elements of training we cannot do in Auckland, but being able to do the bulk of the course in Auckland gives them their chance at a career they wanted.
“We will consider the possibility of future recruit wings later in the year depending on demand and the schedule for senior courses,” Commissioner Chambers says.
“Having a Police College campus in our largest city is a significant opportunity for us to continue developing world-class police officers and growing our frontline police presence.
“New Zealand Police offers exciting career progression and more than 30 different career paths.
"Whether you’re taking your first steps into the workforce or considering a career change, the best time to apply is right now.”
If you are ready to start your training for one of the most rewarding careers there is, visit newcops.govt.nz to apply today.
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