Information for UK Police
Produced by the NZ Police Association for UK Police interested in NZ Police.

Disclaimer: The information given here is the perspective of the New Zealand Police Association and does not necessarily reflect the views of the New Zealand Police.

Introduction

The recent recruitment campaign in the UK by the New Zealand Police has led to a number of serving UK police officers being shortlisted to attend training days in London and Manchester. The shortlist was made-up from people who had previously expressed an interest in joining the New Zealand Police and there are no plans to recruit any further officers outside those already called forward to the training days in November.

The recruitment drive was specifically undertaken to address the current shortages of Police in the Auckland and Counties-Manukau Districts.  Police are not being recruited from the UK to fill vacancies anywhere else in New Zealand. 

The New Zealand Police have been given authority by the New Zealand Immigration Service to offer a contract of employment to suitable UK officers on a 30 month work permit.  The criteria set specifies that the officer will remain in the location directed by Police (Auckland and Counties-Manukau) and remain in the employ of the New Zealand Police for a minimum of two years.  At the end of the period and providing the criteria is still being met,  an application for permanent residency may be lodged.  The work permit will be withdrawn if you leave the New Zealand Police within the specified period. 

There will be no provision to transfer out of Auckland or Counties-Manukau in the first 2 years of service.  Even after 2 years, elected transfer out of Auckland cannot be guaranteed, especially for those in the rank of Constable.

Background

The shortages in Auckland and Counties-Manukau have come about for a number of reasons. 

Some time ago there was a temporary cessation of police recruitment.  This period coincided with a time when Auckland and Counties-Manukau were struggling to retain police officers in the district.   The NZ Police have lost officers from the Auckland and Counties Manukau areas through natural turnover; police leaving to pursue a different career and others to pursue life-style choices by transferring to police districts outside of the inner cities. Without vacancies being filled through the usual recruitment channels, the cities were left short of police and the recovery rate is slow. 

Travel and Financial Arrangements

No financial assistance will be provided to applicants under this project.  The applicant must meet the full cost of their own and their family’s immigration to New Zealand personally. 

Relocation expenses are also to be met by the applicant; the New Zealand Police will not be meeting any individual costs.  However, a competitive rate has been negotiated with two companies who will offer commercial rates as offered to New Zealand Police.

Overview of Auckland and Counties Manukau

Staff and Statistics

Because of the high turnover of staff,  the average length of police officer service in Auckland and Counties Manukau is lower than the average service in all other areas.  The majority of constables serving in Auckland and Counties Manukau are relatively inexperienced in the role.

The staff shortages fluctuate with the graduation and posting of officers from the Police College.  However, the number of police short over both districts at any one time is approximately 130; this is from a combined establishment total of 1400.  

Average length of Service in Years
Band G Constables

The Police Association carried out a comparative exercise with other countries.  The result showed that New Zealand police already operate on a lower ratio of police officers per head of population than any of the countries compared with.

 There are a number of impoverished areas within the Auckland and Counties-Manukau Districts and organised gangs are prevalent.  Together with the usual and predictable problems of high concentrations of people living and working in close proximity, the staff shortage has left Auckland somewhat exposed and its police stretched beyond what is possible to achieve. The effect of staff shortages in Auckland is evident in the latest crime figures which show a marked increase in overall crime in recent times. 

Auckland and Counties Manukau record a considerably higher number of offences per population than the national average   The national increase in population between 1996 and 2001 was 3.2%. 

 The influx of people to the Auckland areas over the last 5 years, has been disproportionately high.

New Zealand                               =       3.2% Auckland City District                  =       6.2% Auckland C.B.D                           =     24.5%   The figures above show the national increase in population overall and the percentage increase in the Auckland City and the Auckland City Business District.

The New Zealand Police

The New Zealand Police are responsible for enforcing criminal law in New Zealand and provides services 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.

Police respond to more than 1 million 111 (999) calls each year and operate from more than 400 community-based police stations. There are 7,000 police staff and just over 2,000 support staff.

The aim of the New Zealand Police is to work in partnerships to build safer communities.  This is to be achieved by empowering communities to deal with issues of community safety and creating more effective community partnerships by : reducing crime, reducing the fear of crime and helping to support and rehabilitate victims.

The Service is responsible for maintaining law and order and keeping the peace and for keeping people free from intimidation, civil disturbance and unreasonable annoyance.  For more information on the New Zealand Police visit www.police.govt.nz and www.police.govt.nz/recruiting/newcops.

The New Zealand Police website is very comprehensive and will answer many of the queries you may have.  There are some particularly useful articles that illustrate the problems in Auckland and the reasons why some of the problems have arisen.  The quickest way to find the articles is to go to the foot of the opening page of the website and click on ‘Search’, insert ‘Auckland’ in the Search box. You will then get a list of articles.  The two articles named below give an historic and recent appraisal of the situation in Auckland and can be found on pages 1 and 3 of the search list. 

• ‘Crime Statistics highlight unique issues facing Auckland City Police’ (29 August 2002)

• ‘Auckland City Police resources stretched, but holding’  (14 December 2001).
  
  The second article states that it was hoped that staffing levels would be up to its full complement by June 2002.  This was not achieved thus the recruitment drive currently underway. 

New Zealand Police are committed to equal employment opportunities as a long-term response to discrimination in the workplace. There is an EEO structure throughout the organisation.

The New Zealand Police are committed to the Treaty of Waitangi and acknowledge Maori as Tangata Whenua (people of the land). Greater understanding is sought by Police of the reciprocal rights, duties and obligations that flow from the Treaty of Waitangi. (See further details of the Treaty of Waitangi under the heading ‘About New Zealand’ later in this document and by visiting the website given).  The Police website contains details of how police and Maori are working together under the heading ‘About Us’.

Recruitment requirements

The letter sent to you by the New Zealand Police dated 27 September outlines the required criteria for applicants.  A number of those points are re-iterated here.

Applicants must :

• be physically fit and in excellent health
• have good eyesight (definition as per the letter)
• have a minimum of 2 years policing service
• have no major disciplinary incidents on record with current service
• have no criminal or drink driving convictions
• notify prior to pre-selection if they have ever suffered from asthma, had any significant operations, or significant knee, back or joint injuries.

Fitness Requirements:

Run

            Males              2.4 km in 10 minutes 15 seconds or less

            Females         2.4 km in 11 minutes 15 seconds or less

Vertical Jump

            Males              48 cm or more

            Females         40 cm or more

Press-ups

            Males              34 continuous press-ups or more

            Females         20 continuous press-ups or more

Grip Test

            Males              50 kg per hand or combined total of 100kg or more

            Females         30 kg per hand or combined total of 60 kg or more

Full explanation of the requirements of each of the above is detailed in your letter.

Other requirements (by commencement of training)

• Type 25 words per minute
• Swim 50 metres unassisted
• Tread water unaided for 5 minutes
• Duck dive and retrieve rubber brick from 3 metres

 Training

The training of UK police officers will take place at the New Zealand Police College, Porirua, Wellington.  This is some 900 km from Auckland.  The training will be of 10 weeks duration under an ‘Accelerated Training’ programme and Recognition of Prior Learning Policy.  Officers will be required to attend and successfully complete the ten-week induction course 13 April – 26 June 2003.  All those who successfully complete induction training will be deployed at the rank of constable in June 2003.  

Pay and Conditions

Your pay on joining the New Zealand Police will be based solely on the number of year’s service you have.   Pay in the New Zealand Police is a total remuneration package comprising:

Salary                                                                         (see table below)

Insurance                                                                    $208.00

Physical Competency Test (PCT) payment.                    $551.00

Superannuation subsidy                                                10.184% of salary

PCT payment is paid annually and is a bonus incentive to remain fit for role.   The physical test must be taken annually and passed to receive the payment.

Prior service as a police officer will be taken into account and the probationary period is likely to be less that the 2 years for fresh recruits.  In accordance with ‘Recognition of Prior Learning, adjustments are likely; e.g. CID qualified officers may be appointed on merit in the Criminal Investigation Branch within a short time frame.  Upon completion of probationary training an officer may be able to apply for permanent positions on merit.  The same will apply for positions of rank. 

The rank structure is slightly different than in the UK. The New Zealand Police have a Senior Constable rank (attained after 14 years continuous service and good conduct as a Constable) and a Senior Sergeant (achieved after obtaining the necessary qualification at Sergeant level and successfully applying for a vacancy); appointment is on merit.

There is no additional allowance for shift or weekend work.  No additional pay is granted for working on public holidays but a day off in lieu is granted.

Remunerations bands:

The following table gives an indication of the type of roles which fall within the bands.

Progression within the bands will be on merit based on the results of an annual performance appraisal on each member, within the performance pay policy guidelines.  Performance pay is generally between $800-$1100.

Total Remuneration Bands * (from 1 December 2001 – 30 June 2002)

*  Inclusive of shift allowance, overtime, skill allowances and superannuation subsidy.

Hours of Work

Rostered hours are worked on either an 8 or a 10 hours shift on a 40 hour week.  Some rosters are a combination of both 8 and 10-hour shifts.

Overtime and Time Off in Lieu (TOIL)

There is no paid overtime in the New Zealand Police.  Hours worked over and above rostered hours can however be reimbursed as Time Off in Lieu (TOIL).  The rules of TOIL are as follows:

• Overtime worked up to 7 hours per week attracts no compensation
• Overtime in excess of 7 hours is compensated by TOIL on an hour for hour basis.  Example:  If 10 hours were worked in a week an officer would receive 3 hours recorded overtime which must be taken as TOIL. This cannot be converted into cash.

Superannuation

Total remuneration rates quoted are inclusive of a superannuation subsidy of 10.184%.  You can transfer your UK police pension into the New Zealand Police superannuation scheme as a lump sum equivalent.  To do this, the UK scheme must satisfy itself that you have emigrated permanently and are in an employment to which the New Zealand Scheme relates.  They usually wait at least 12 months before considering any such applications. 

You may wish to leave your pension where it is until you have served the 30 months on your employment contract here and you have made the decision whether or not you will make New Zealand your permanent home.  If you do remain permanently in New Zealand it is worth transferring your pension at the earliest opportunity.  If you leave it in the UK until maturity you will pay a large tax penalty when you bring it into New Zealand. 

Leave Entitlements

Annual leave amounts to 4 weeks per year with an additional 13 days for statutory holidays.  A further 7 and a half days paid leave is provided to all officers in recognition of shift work. (whether or not shift work is actually worked).

Four weeks long service leave is granted after 20 years of service.

Sick Leave

16 days a year are granted for the first 5 years of service.  Thereafter, 12 days a year will be granted.

Sick leave can be used to care for periods of sickness of dependent family members.

Parental Leave

12 months unpaid leave is allowed for both males and females. Police officers on leave caring for their newborn child are entitled to a Government paid allowance of $325 per week for 12 weeks, ($256.75 for those on 21% tax rate).  Female officers returning from parental leave are also entitled to two police paid ex-gratia payouts, each of 6 weeks pay, providing they return to work.  The first payment will be made 2 months after returning to work and the second will be paid after 12 months providing the officer has remained in the service of the police.

Returning male officers are only eligible for the first payment of 6 weeks pay after 2 months of returning to work.

Individual tax rates

Taxable income                                          Rate of tax

             ($)                                           (for every $1 of taxable income)

  up to $38,000                                                19.5 cents

           $38,001 to $60,000 inclusive                      33 cents

            $60,001 and over                                          39 cents

Secondary Employment

Secondary employment can not be undertaken without prior written approval of the regional commander.  The conditions of approval are not dissimilar to those in the UK regarding this issue.

Retirement

In line with Human Rights legislation, compulsory retirement ages have been removed from the New Zealand workforce, including Police.  Retirement from the New Zealand Police is now determined by member choice and their continued ability to meet the requirements of the job.

Police Association

Police Association membership is $16.50 per week.  Virtually all police officers are members of the Association.  The Association also represents approximately 85% of the non-sworn (civilian) employees of the New Zealand Police.

The Welfare arm of the Police Association provides a range of services including:

• Health Insurance
• Home, contents and car insurance
• Life Insurance
• Preferential mortgage rates
• 41-holiday homes spread throughout the North and south Islands.

Practical Information

Climate

The climate in New Zealand is temperate, with warm summers (averaging over 24 degrees) and cool winters often not rising above 8 or 9 degrees during the day. 

New Zealand's seasons are the reverse of the Northern Hemisphere and have four quite distinct seasons, the same as UK.  However, Spring is Sept-Nov, Summer Dec-Feb, Autumn Mar-May and Winter June-Aug. In summer there is plenty of sunshine, and activities in and around the water include rafting, snorkelling, diving and kayaking. There is snow on the mountains in winter and excellent skiing.

In general, New Zealand winters are milder than UK and temperatures do not often fall below freezing. You will still need your heavy coat, gloves and boots; Winter and Spring can be extremely chilly especially in the mornings.  You may still have to scrape the ice off your windscreen some mornings. The lower South Island is generally much colder than the rest of the country and gets a lot of snowfall in Winter.

Currency

The currency here is dollars and cents.  The exchange rate fluctuates daily so it is difficult to be accurate however, a crude calculation would be : 1 pound = 3 dollars.

Time Difference

New Zealand is one of the first places in the world to see the new day, 12 hours ahead of GMT (Greenwich Mean Time). In summer New Zealand uses ‘daylight saving’, with clocks put forward one hour to GMT+13. Daylight saving begins on the first Sunday in October and ends on the third Sunday of the following March, when clocks are put back to GMT+12.

Shopping Hours

Most shops and businesses are open 9am to 5pm, Monday to Friday, as a minimum. Many stores also open Saturdays and some open on Sundays. In resorts you will find most stores open in the evenings. Banks are closed at weekends although some bank kiosks are open within the shopping centres and cash-point machines are plentiful.

Voltage/Electricity supply

Electricity is supplied throughout New Zealand at 230/240 volts (50 hertz), Power outlets only accept flat three or two-pin plugs, depending on whether an earth connection is fitted.  If you are bringing a laptop you will need a RJ45 type plug to be able to connect your laptop into a computer socket in New Zealand, and an adaptor with a flat two or three-point power plug to connect to the power supply.

TV/ VCR/ DVD

Most  TV's and VCR's will work in NZ.  However TV's/VCRs not designed for a worldwide market may need converting  in order to tune into NZ domestic transmissions.  It might be worth making some enquiries with the manufacturer prior to shipping these items out. 

Your DVD player will work here if it is multi-region or region-free.   New Zealand operates in Zone 4.  Again you may wish to check with the manufacturer.  It is possible to get some models converted here but not all models manufactured by the different companies are available in New Zealand. If you wish to make enquires with NZ companies, the following website may help.  www.nzsearch.co.nz

Most TV / VCR / DVD's sold in New Zealand do not use ‘scart’ leads, but you can buy the adapters here.  Sky Digital is also available without the range offered in the UK but with plenty of rugby and football.  In fact all sport is revered here and even netball matches are screened in prime time viewing slots. We are not aware whether the UK mini-dish and decoder would work here.  

Television programming on the New Zealand channels is not dissimilar to UK.  Most programmes are English or American.  For those of you who couldn’t live without it, Coronation Street is aired twice a week for an hour each but is about 6 months behind the UK.  Maxine has only just had the baby and we have only this week found out that Eve is a bigamist and Linda is alive!  The downside to watching New Zealand channels is the number of adverts.  If you think ITV is bad you have seen nothing yet.

There are terrestrial, cable and satellite TV channels and a wide range of radio stations. The New Zealand Herald is the main daily paper  www.nzherald.co.nz  and there are also a large number of local and suburban papers.

Please see www.purenz.com for more information and the answers to many frequently asked questions.

About New Zealand

New Zealand is situated in the South Pacific Ocean. The country runs roughly north-south with mountain ranges down much of its length. Its two main islands (North and South) cover 266,200 sq km (103,735 sq miles), about the size of Japan or California and slightly larger than the UK. In a couple of days drive it is possible to see everything from mountain ranges to sandy beaches, lush rainforests, glaciers and fiords and active volcanoes.

A quarter of the country remains forested despite a 1000 years of native bush clearance. Most of these remaining areas are protected in national and forest parks. In total, around 30 percent of New Zealand's land area is protected conservation land.

There are13 national parks, three maritime parks, two world heritage areas, hundreds of nature reserves and ecological areas, a network of marine reserves and wetlands, and protection for special rivers and lakes.

Population

New Zealand is an independent nation and a member of the British Commonwealth. It has a diverse multi-cultural population of around 3.8 million people, the majority of whom are of British descent. New Zealand's indigenous Maori make up around 14 percent of the population.

Early Settlement

The Maori were New Zealand's first settlers. They made an epic journey from the legendary Hawaiki, probably in Polynesia to the north of New Zealand, about 1000 years ago. The great explorer Kupe, who legend says first discovered New Zealand, named the new land Aotearoa - Land of the Long White Cloud.

The first documented European to discover New Zealand was Dutch navigator Abel Tasman who came here in 1642 in search of the fabled great southern continent. Over a 125 years later, Captain James Cook claimed it for Britain in 1769 and produced a map of the country.

The Treaty of Waitangi

The Treaty of Waitangi , seen as New Zealand's founding document, established the country as a nation. It was signed in 1840 between leading Maori chiefs and representatives of the British Crown at Waitangi, in the Bay of Islands, now one of the country's most historic sites. The signing of the treaty began on 6 February, which has become New Zealand's national day, known as 'Waitangi Day'.

Economy and Government

New Zealand is a modern country with a well-developed economy and a government structure based on the British parliamentary system. New Zealand has long been a sovereign nation in its own right with only tenuous ties to Britain through New Zealand's membership of the British Commonwealth.

Kiwis and kiwis

Referring to New Zealanders as Kiwis probably dates back to the First World War, when New Zealand soldiers first acquired this nickname.

In the international financial markets, New Zealand’s basic currency unit, the New Zealand dollar, is frequently called ’the kiwi’ The dollar coin features a kiwi bird on one side.

New Zealand is a land of unique birds. The best known is the kiwi. This flightless bird, about the size of a domestic hen, has an extremely long beak and plumage that is more like hair than feathers.  New Zealanders have adopted this endearing creature as their national emblem. 

Perhaps the best-known kiwi is the kiwifruit. Originating in China, kiwifruit were grown in New Zealand domestic gardens for decades as ‘Chinese gooseberries’. However, when enterprising New Zealand farmers began propagating the fruit intensively for export, it was given the name kiwifruit and has since achieved worldwide fame.

About Auckland

Auckland is New Zealand's largest city, with a population of just under 382,000 within the city boundary and 1.18 million in the greater Auckland area. This represents about one third of the population of the whole country.

The city and suburbs cover an area of 60 square kilometres; English is the main written and spoken language, with Maori, Polynesian and Asian languages also being spoken by ethnic communities.

The cost of living in Auckland is more expensive than in other parts of New Zealand and this is reflected in the higher cost of property. 

House prices are more expensive in Auckland than in other less densely populated areas of New Zealand although may appear reasonable against the current cost of property in the UK.  If you have a property to sell in the UK and expect a reasonable profit margin on the sale you may not perceive the cost of housing in and around Auckland to be expensive in comparative terms. www.realestate.webnz.co.nz   You will need to think ahead to when you are earning on the local economy because your salary too, comparatively, will be considerably less than you have been earning in the UK. 

The roads in and around Auckland are the busiest in the country and are frequently heavily congested, especially at peak times.  Travelling to and from central Auckland can be problematic.  Parking can be difficult and expensive in and around the cities police stations and some stations do not have or have only limited parking facilities.

Water sports are a pastime enjoyed by a large number of Aucklanders and the city enjoys the reputation as being known as the 'City of Sails' due the number of yachts which sail in the harbours and the adjoining Hauraki Gulf.

Auckland is surrounded by extinct volcanoes and a myriad of picturesque islands in the Gulf.  The city is presently home to the America's Cup yachting trophy.

The city of Auckland is the retail and commercial centre of New Zealand, with a number of head offices and businesses servicing commerce, manufacturing and tourism. Because it is the focal business centre for the region a large number of people commute daily into the city by bus, ferry, rail and private car.

The main attractions within the city include: the Auckland Museum which houses one of the best Maori and Polynesian collections in the world, the Maritime Museum on the waterfront, Kelly Tarlton's Underwater World Aquarium, Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tamaki, the Museum of Transport and Technology, the Auckland Zoo.  Many ferry and scenic harbour cruises which operate to the North Shore and islands of the Hauraki Gulf.

The city has two universities and a technical institute, together with a range of private and state secondary schools.  For further details on schools and school holidays visit  www.moe.govt.nz.

There is a large number of utility services and facilities for residents including open spaces and public parks, good public transport, public libraries, an expansive range of bars, cafes and restaurants, and a modern lively night life with a casino operating at the Sky City complex.   New Zealand does not have the plethora of pubs that the UK is famous for but reliable information given is that you can buy Tetley’s and Guiness here as well as all the familiar European imports on sale in UK. 

The main shopping areas are downtown Queen Street, High Street, Parnell, Newmarket and the St Lukes mall. There are also a large number of shopping malls throughout the region.

To find out more about shops and services in the central downtown Auckland area, visit www.hotcity.co.nz

And finally …….

There is no doubt you will have many more burning questions.   You are at this time considering and huge life change for yourself and if you have family, for them too.  You will have the opportunity to ask your questions of the New Zealand Police officers when they arrive at the beginning of November.  Many more answers about the physical move here can be obtained from the Immigration Service in UK.

New Zealand is a beautiful country, its people are open and friendly.  The culture is not so dissimilar to the UK that you will experience any great culture shocks.  Be prepared to come with an open mind and a will to succeed here, and you will.  If you are happy being a police officer in the UK you can be happy being a police officer here.  Crime and criminals are the same, only the location changes, but, be aware that Auckland and Counties Manukau are not the easiest of places to police, again, if you already work in an inner city force in the UK the transition may not be so difficult.

We wish you well with your applications and look forward to welcoming you into New Zealand and into the New Zealand Police.