All communities and all peoples will benefit from the re-signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between Te Wānanga o Aotearoa (TWoA) and the NZ Police, in an effort to gain knowledge of Māori language and customs.
Over a hundred senior leaders and new recruits from the NZ Police descended on TWoA's Māngere Campus in support of the course Taumata Raukura - Certificate in Career Preparation (Police) level 4.
TWoA's Chief Executive Jim Mather says, "This course encourages and supports youth who aspire to work in the Police Force."
Police Commissioner Mike Bush says, "We've had a fantastic relationship with the Wānanga over the last six years, they've helped us bring in a lot of recruits into the NZ Police, we want to take that relationship and that partnership to the next level."
Iwi Liaison Officer Hurimoana Dennis says, "We have many Māori officers working amongst all our people, this course hopes to recruit more Māori, Pacific Islanders and Asians."
Today's re-signing is a strengthening of the partnership which initiated this course which ultimately will benefit all communities, all people.
Mather says, "One benefit would be an increase of diversity within the force."
Commissioner Bush says, "One of our values is commitment to Māori and the Treaty, so making sure that everyone in our organisation actually understands what that means in terms of partnership and honoring that treaty they get a really good understanding here of that."
Dennis adds, "They learn about the culture, the Treaty, and that's what this partnership between the Wānanga and the Police is all about."
Of the 12,000 sworn police officers in Aotearoa, just 11.6% are Māori, about 4% are Pacific Islanders and less than 3% are Asian or 'other' ethnicity, however the aim is universal - it's about addressing the country's appalling crime rates.