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Thread: UK Police migrate to NZ

  1. #1
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    Default UK Police migrate to NZ

    On the National Radio news this morning there was a story about UK policemen who had moved to the Auckland area in 2002 as part of a 'work to residence' scheme.

    50 were being granted PR, 8 were still pending and 8 had returned home.

    So on this particular sample threequarters have decided that on balance, after two to three years, the NZ plc package was for them. Presumably this includes some sort of relative personal assessment of the stress/rewards of their job, promotion prospects, relative standards of living/quality of life etc, NZ vs UK.

    One eighth have thrown in the towel and gone back - we don't know why from the story. Could be shock at the high level and nature of crime compared to what they were used to in the UK, dissatisfaction with pay and conditions, worries that they would get RSI from overuse of the trigger finger on the traffic speed gun, homesickness in whatever form etc etc.

    A further one eighth are still here but are still being processed for PR (I don't know why, perhaps they arrived later?)

    Can't really make too many assumptions on a single small sample such as this, but the story may be of interest to others contemplating coming over into crime-related fields (by which I don't mean applying for PR as Methamphetamine chemists or time-served cracksmiths).

    It may also lead to further speculation in the level-of-crime-in-NZ debate. Presumably these policemen have a reasonable idea of the real difference between the levels and nature of crime in the UK and NZ. Do they choose to stay because they feel that NZ is a lot safer as an enviroment in which to bring up their families, or because crime-ridden NZ provides them with a much greater professional challenge than sleepy old UK? I think we should be told!

  2. #2
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    Default

    Interesting thread. I left the police force 10 years ago. At that time we did the investigating, arrest, interviewing, case papers etc. In fact we saw the job through to its conclusion - hopefully in court. Nowadays, police officers seem to go from call to call, making written reports that are passed onto someone else to deal with - normally a civvie and have little job satisfaction.

    Perhaps the ones who stay in NZ find that they are actually being allowed to do their job properly rather than just dish out crime reference numbers.

  3. #3
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    Interesting!

    One of the reasons I'm going to NZ is for a greater feeling of community, and to do more of a community bobby role. At the mo, I'm a response officer, as frances says going from call to call. You turn up, deal with the immediate nature of the call whatever it may be, then shoot off to the next one.

    The only drawback with going to NZ is having to reapply to join the NZ Police and do the initial training for a year. After that, you can specialise. a worthwhile drawback I think.

    I can't say why some officers decided to come back to the UK....perhaps it was too much of a culture shock, or the standard of living was different to what they were thinking...all I can say is that I can't wait to get out there

    Rich

  4. #4
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    The only drawback with going to NZ is having to reapply to join the NZ Police and do the initial training for a year.
    Initial Training - What a nightmare. Mine was 4 months at Ashford doing 12 mile log runs etc etc. Bad enough when you are in your 20's - couldn't touch my toes now :?

    How much service have you got in, and are you with Kent or the Mets?

  5. #5
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    Rich
    Have you already applied or are you going to apply?
    I'm not sure if I want to police again, I'm currently in A van and somekit (as we are often known) what about you?
    The story is interesting though, initially they all got WTR. Whereas we (you or I) couldn't apply unless we get PR.
    It would appear that the police service there is going through a down period (abit like the British police ALL the time ) so I wonder if they'll change policy again in the near future.
    Chhers
    Hayden

  6. #6
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    Hi GeorgeM

    Mmmmm, interesting quote - "sleepy old UK".....

    I certainly don't find it so .....live in semi-rural area, and have had gun-crime in broad daylight in nearby McDonalds, Tesco, not to mention other gruesome stuff, and we moved here to get away from the crime ridden streets of big towns! The UK is changing, and not for the better....

    From what I've researched on the web, the crime stats for NZ are lower, and better still the detection/successful prosecution rate was amazingly around 50%. Think UK is more like mere 10-20% (can't remember exactly). Sounds like you would definitely has more job satisfaction as a bobby in NZ.

    regards

  7. #7
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    Quote Originally Posted by lidax
    Mmmmm, interesting quote - "sleepy old UK".....
    I was being a tad ironic... We really do need a tongue-in-cheek emoticon!!!

    My impression is that (statistical fiddling apart) the clear-up rate over here is greater than in the UK.

    Big news over here recently were the 5 murders in Chch, and the serial bank robber in Auckland. I believe that they now have people in custody for all of the above apart from one of the Chch killings.

    I think that NZ society is still so small and reasonably concentrated that it's difficult for people to hide as easily as in the UK. (Unless they are ex-Iraqi Sadamite henchmen, of course, in which case the NZ govt doesn't seem to have any idea where they are unless Winston Peters is there to "help" them...)

  8. #8
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    Hi guys, sorry for the delay ops:

    I've got two and a half years in at the moment, so going through training again doesn't really bother me. In Kent Police at the moment, on Section, dealing with the mad to the even madder (especially working on the Isle of Sheppy! )

    Yeah, awaiting PR prior to applying to join NZ Police, and notice that you can specialise once you've completed a years training, they even have a version of PACE :eek

    I was hoping to get all the paperwork submitted proir to moving out there, but they're not so forth coming with information via their website, or e-mails as to interviews or what the process intails

    Will let you know how I get on....

    Francis >> You know there's no better job than being on the beat, just imagine another 15 weeks at Ashford, bu this time in Welly

    Hayden >> Never heard of the A Van before mate, could you enlighten me?

    Cheers guys, hope the process is keeping you on your toes!

    Rich

  9. #9
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    A long long time ago (about a week or so ) Avon and Somerset Constabulary were soooooo poor we had no decent kit. Where ever we turned up it was always in A Van and with SomeKit (Avon and Somerset!)
    Funnily enough we still get most kit as an afterthought and I don't know about your force but we run out of forms about the middle of Feb every year 'cos the budgets gone.
    Let me know how you get on with applying, although I think I'd rather be a park ranger than a policeman if I had my time again.

  10. #10
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    In Kent Police at the moment, on Section, dealing with the mad to the even madder (especially working on the Isle of Sheppy! )
    So plenty of experience of incest and beastiality cases then

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