Two new faces look forward to dream job

ON THE BEAT: Gisborne’s two latest ‘‘bobbies’’ go on the front line in about a week. Police constables 19-year-old Amber Dayberg (left) and Lisa Basford, 26, graduated from the police college in October. Picture by Liam Clayton

TWENTY-ONE new police officers have joined the ‘‘thin blue line’’ in the Wairoa-Gisborne-East Coast district in the past 12 months, and the two latest are ready for the challenge.

The 21 do not represent a net gain, as some staff have resigned, been promoted or transferred, and two have been seconded to Bougainville.

But area police commander Inspector Sam Aberahama said the district’s police strength was almost at capacity.

“We have carried a number of vacant postions over the past several months in investigation and prevention areas, and we have put together a recruiting strategy to get Tairawhiti people into Tairawhiti police.

“We are targeting people who want to do police work in Gisborne and Wairoa.

“I am 100 percent comfortable with our staffing situation at this point and can see it improving further over the next 12 months.”

The district will receive another four officers from Wing 312 going through the police college now.

Three will go to Wairoa and one more to Gisborne in March.

The two newest officers to join the Gisborne force — Gisborne’s Amber Dayberg, 19, and Lisa Basford, 26, from Wellington — have a week to go in their field training as probationary constables before they are assigned to frontline duties.

They graduated from Porirua Police College in October.

Constable Dayberg was born and bred in Gisborne, and says as a young girl some of the people she looked up to were police officers.

“They inspired me to become one and it feels great to finally be one myself.”

The police college course was challenging and she was relieved she got through it OK.

“Now I am eager to get stuck in.”

Constable Basford said joining the police was one of her long-term goals.

“I have always seen the police as a career with a lot of opportunities, and moving from Wellington to Gisborne has been part of the challenge.

“In the end it was an easy decision, because I love surfing and the ocean a lot.

“Being able to work my dream job in this amazing place is something I am absolutely looking forward to.”