New Cops | Do you care enough?
Possible Careers
Where a Police career can take you
As a member of the New Zealand Police you’ll help people every day, and no two days will be the same. You’ll constantly grow and learn because professional development continues throughout your career.
General Duties Constable
Start as a probationary Constable and respond to emergencies and prevent crime. You’ll train on-the-job attending street disorder, family violence, road crashes, and stolen car investigations. You'll participate in operations at major sporting events, prepare files for court, and help to locate missing people.
In your first year out of college, you'll earn a total of $66,615.00. You could also earn an additional $6,500 in allowances and overtime. Further pay increases will depend on your role, shift patterns, and promotion.
Youth Aid
Work with kids, teens, parents, community organisations, and other agencies to help turn young lives around. Get the reward of helping put young people on the right track in life.
Family Violence Team
If you have strong communication skills, understand the digital world, and have empathy for victims, you can work to stop child abuse, cyber-bullying, and partner violence.
Dive Squad
Dive Squad members have regular police duties alongside dive work and training. You could be doing evidential searches, tricky underwater video work, or sometimes you'll be asked to locate bodies. It's valuable and necessary work.
Neighbourhood Policing Team
Working alongside a small team of Police Officers and other groups you can put your problem-solving and communication skills and work with the community to prevent crime.
Air Observation Support
The Air Observation Support is New Zealand Police's "eye in the sky" in Auckland. You'll track fleeing vehicles and offenders and assist with special operations from above.
Iwi Liaison Officer
It’s so rewarding to work with Iwi and whānau to prevent crime, crashes, and victimisation. Knowing Te Reo and Tikanga Māori can be really valuable to this role.
Ethnic Liaison Officer
Work in New Zealand's diverse communities. You'll attend cultural events, educate migrants about our laws, help international travellers who are victims of crime, and many more.
Financial Crime Unit
Your background in finance or accounting can disrupt and deter crime. The unit monitors suspicious transactions, large amounts of cash crossing our borders, and helps money-laundering investigations.
School Community Officers
You'll help students to be safe and achieve their potential. Work alongside teaching staff, students, parents, whānau, and the community to stop harm and build safe environments for our tamariki.
Road Policing
When you work in road policing–including Highway Patrol, Commercial Vehicle Investigations Unit, and the Serious Crash Unit–you can save lives and reduce injury.
Child Protection Team
You can help give society's most vulnerable people a voice. Working with other agencies, you'll make a difference to kids who have suffered physical, psychological, or sexual abuse.
Forensics
Specialise in crime scene examination as a Scene of Crime Officer or Photographer and work with Fingerprint Officers, Document Examiners, Armourers, and Electronic Crime Analysts.
Prosecutions
Conduct legal research, present evidence in court, and prepare written submissions to strengthen the prosecution's case.
You can apply for this role as a non-constabulary employee if you have an LLB (Bachelor of Laws) and a current practising certificate (with 2+ years experience) or apply once you hold the office of Constable.
Search and Rescue
Take on specialist work that suits your active approach to life. If you thrive being outdoors, you could contribute to search and rescue missions when needed.
Armed Offenders Squad
AOS members are part-time drawn from all branches of Police. You’re trained to “cordon, contain, and appeal” to armed offenders. Tactics and training come to the fore.
Police Negotiator
You'll train in psychology and crisis intervention techniques and attend armed offender incidents–most are resolved peacefully, thanks to the skills of Police Negotiators.
Organised Crime and Drugs Unit
You'll work to dismantle the operations and profits of organised crime groups, including gangs. For this role, you’ll train in the Criminal Investigations Branch.
Protection Services
Whether at home or abroad, you would provide protection for the Prime Minister, Governor General, other key positions, as a well as VIP guests to New Zealand.
Detective
You’ll train to undertake criminal investigations and solve serious crime, targeting organised crime and those who keep offending. You’ll investigate murders, violence, sexual offending, drug offences, and more.
Dog Handler
Police dog handlers’ primary role is to track and search for people. You may also be deployed alongside the Armed Offender Squad or search for firearms and drugs.
International Liaison Officer (Interpol)
You work supporting Interpol (International Crime Police Organisation). Cases include international missing persons, international child abductions, extraditions, and more.
Special Tactics Group (STG)
Provide a sustained tactical response to escalating situations which fall beyond the capability or capacity of the Armed Offenders Squad, including terrorism, hostages, high-risk surveillance, VIP security, and many more.
Leadership
You can become a Section Sergeant in five years. From there, anything is possible–even becoming the Police Commissioner. Aim high and take charge of your career.
