Australian Journalist TONY EASTLEY:
New Zealand Police are under fire over the plummeting standards of new recruits.
Reports have emerged that some of them had seven attempts at passing exams, and that one even had to be taught the alphabet.
New Zealand Correspondent Peter Lewis prepared this report.
NEWSREEL (archival): Every hour of the day and night, the reassuring presence of the man on the beat means security for the citizen.
PETER LEWIS: A newsreel about the way things used to be – unarmed police on foot who’d pledged to protect and serve in simpler times.
A new report from the National Police Academy points to such a lack of intellectual rigour among new recruits that the force is now unflatteringly being referred to as New Zealand’s “thick blue line”.
Deputy Commissioner Rob Pope denies that the decision to relax entry standards a few years back is now resulting in police that aren’t quite as sharp as they used to be.
ROB POPE: It’s not about average intelligence, it’s about ability to do the job, and policing is more than just an academic tick pass, it’s competency across a whole range of on-the-job experiences. And it’s very important that, as an organisation, we have confidence that we have staff that are able to exhibit all competencies.
PETER LEWIS: Perhaps just as disturbing are claims that there are graduates who aren’t qualified to drive a car at speed, carry a firearm and who can’t meet the physical fitness standards.
The report says more recruits are failing exams and there’s been a sharp increase in the numbers that need extra coaching to make the grade.
A former training supervisor at the academy, Craig Cameron, says one in eight needed performance management and some took up to seven attempts to pass the exam.
CRAIG CAMERON: If you have a simple denial that you have any issues, and I guess a closed mind to the potential of having any issues, then you’re going to be, by default, leaving the situation to deteriorate.
PETER LEWIS: But the Deputy Commissioner says the 19-month course is just the start of the police education process.
ROB POPE: Police training is not just restricted purely to the police college, it’s a continuum. And part of the police training in this day and age is around competency assessment. And there is far more supervisory approaches, on-the-job assessments and assessments after the college, which allows police to have confidence around the quality of its workforce.
PETER LEWIS: But speaking on Radio New Zealand, the acting head of the academy, Superintendent Russell Gibson, suggested that not all the new recruits were plodders.
RUSSELL GIBSON: You haven’t talked about the
TONY EASTLEY: New Zealand Police are under fire over the plummeting standards of new recruits.
Reports have emerged that some of them had seven attempts at passing exams, and that one even had to be taught the alphabet.
New Zealand Correspondent Peter Lewis prepared this report.
NEWSREEL (archival): Every hour of the day and night, the reassuring presence of the man on the beat means security for the citizen.
PETER LEWIS: A newsreel about the way things used to be – unarmed police on foot who’d pledged to protect and serve in simpler times.
A new report from the National Police Academy points to such a lack of intellectual rigour among new recruits that the force is now unflatteringly being referred to as New Zealand’s “thick blue line”.
Deputy Commissioner Rob Pope denies that the decision to relax entry standards a few years back is now resulting in police that aren’t quite as sharp as they used to be.
ROB POPE: It’s not about average intelligence, it’s about ability to do the job, and policing is more than just an academic tick pass, it’s competency across a whole range of on-the-job experiences. And it’s very important that, as an organisation, we have confidence that we have staff that are able to exhibit all competencies.
PETER LEWIS: Perhaps just as disturbing are claims that there are graduates who aren’t qualified to drive a car at speed, carry a firearm and who can’t meet the physical fitness standards.
The report says more recruits are failing exams and there’s been a sharp increase in the numbers that need extra coaching to make the grade.
A former training supervisor at the academy, Craig Cameron, says one in eight needed performance management and some took up to seven attempts to pass the exam.
CRAIG CAMERON: If you have a simple denial that you have any issues, and I guess a closed mind to the potential of having any issues, then you’re going to be, by default, leaving the situation to deteriorate.
PETER LEWIS: But the Deputy Commissioner says the 19-month course is just the start of the police education process.
ROB POPE: Police training is not just restricted purely to the police college, it’s a continuum. And part of the police training in this day and age is around competency assessment. And there is far more supervisory approaches, on-the-job assessments and assessments after the college, which allows police to have confidence around the quality of its workforce.
PETER LEWIS: But speaking on Radio New Zealand, the acting head of the academy, Superintendent Russell Gibson, suggested that not all the new recruits were plodders.
RUSSELL GIBSON: You haven’t talked about the Rhodes Scholar that we interned last year, you haven’t talked about all the other ones that have degrees …
REPORTER: How many Rhodes Scholars have you got in the police force now then?
RUSSELL GIBSON: I think there was one that went through last year.
REPORTER: Does that make up for any possible problems in the future?
RUSSELL GIBSON: No, but we’re not training everyone to be the Commissioner, are we?
PETER LEWIS: But just in case, the Police Minister has appointed a PhD student to undertake a review of recruiting standards and training.
This is Peter Lewis in Auckland for AM.
that we interned last year, you haven’t talked about all the other ones that have degrees …
REPORTER: How many Rhodes Scholars have you got in the police force now then?
RUSSELL GIBSON: I think there was one that went through last year.
REPORTER: Does that make up for any possible problems in the future?
RUSSELL GIBSON: No, but we’re not training everyone to be the Commissioner, are we?
PETER LEWIS: But just in case, the Police Minister has appointed a PhD student to undertake a review of recruiting standards and training.
This is Peter Lewis in Auckland for AM.