UK cops leave NZ force dissatisfied

  • Breaking
  • 14/08/2013

Ten years ago New Zealand began a drive to entice British police to migrate here. Hundreds of experienced officers were recruited and re-trained to tackle Kiwi crime.

But 3 News has learned about half have since left, and things went wrong from the start.

"There may have been people who might have thought they should have progressed quicker in the police, but it's not about years in the job; it's actually about what you bring to the table and how you keep New Zealanders safe," says Deputy Police Commissioner Viv Rickard.

Inspector Glyn Rowland came out from Lancashire in 2006.

"It was a new lifestyle," he says. "It was a great experience for my wee boy and my wife to come to New Zealand."

Those he knows who have abandoned ship, they did so for family reasons.

But reports obtained under the Official Information Act reveal on the whole, the British recruits felt their "careers had stalled" and were mainly there to fill gaps. And 40 percent weren't happy with the recruitment process, with one saying, "No one has ever sat me down and said 'you are from the UK with 20 plus years service – what have you done?'"

Meanwhile, a law change is on the cards in the UK that would give Kiwi and other international police a fast-track up the British ladder to senior rank without having to do time on the lower rungs first.

A spokesperson at the home office told 3 News consultation was over and a decision is yet to be made.

So what lessons should be or have been learned from New Zealand's recruitment scheme?

"In terms of recognising their rank, dealing with them in terms of the training, and really focusing their training on the areas they needed to acclimatise to," says Mr Rickard.

In other words, those eyeing up the UK should go prepared for change.

3 News

source: newshub archive