Campaign targeting wāhine Māori to join the police and make a career in the ranks

The new police campaign to attract more wāhine Māori to the ranks. Photo / Supplied

Police have launched a new campaign to recruit more wāhine Māori officers.

Puhikura, a documentary that outlines the journey of five wāhine Māori who join the police, was launched on Thursday on Te Marae, Te Papa.

Police Commissioner Andrew Coster says wāhine Māori are the most
under-represented demographic in the force and the new campaign sets out to
change that.

"Māori must be fully represented within our organisation to ensure we
represent and serve our whole community," Coster said.

He said the force was desperate for more wāhine Māori because of the unique skills and understanding they can bring to keeping their communities safe.

"I am proud to launch Puhikura, which has had the input and support of my
Māori Focus Forum, and which embraces a Te Ao Māori approach of
story-telling," Coster said.

"Made by wāhine Māori for wāhine Māori, the candid documentary series
champions the power of stories as taonga. These five wāhine reflect on what
calls them forward and holds them back as they consider a career with police."

Since 2017 police have been actively recruiting a more diverse workforce to
ensure that every ethnicity in New Zealand is fairly represented.

Recruitment of Māori has improved overall, with a 30 per cent increase in
constables who are Māori, and a 60 per cent increase of wāhine Māori.
However, wāhine Māori still comprise only 3.6 per cent of the police,
despite making up 8.4 per cent of New Zealand's population.

Puhikura was launched on the back of police reaching the milestone of a 25 per cent female constabulary workforce - achieved with the graduation of Wing 354 and in advance of the graduation of Wing 355, which has the highest-ever proportion of Māori recruits.

The name Puhikura was gifted by Rahui Papa of Waikato Tainui, a member of the
Commissioner's Māori Focus Forum.

"The name Puhikura means a woman of renown, mana wāhine, a settler of
peace, a beacon of unity. It also refers to a prized taonga, which is fitting
for these stories," Papa said.

"Puhikura is absolutely appropriate to encourage the participation of
Mareikura (chiefly women) into the NZ Police.

Immediate past president of the Māori Women's Welfare League, Prue Kapua,
said: "We are able to work with the New Zealand Police and have input to
achieve the solutions that we want to see for our wāhine and their
whānau… League members are embedded in the communities so we know our
communities, we can work with our people."

"The wāhine of Puhikura share their experiences as both inspiration, and a
contribution to cultural healing, connection, and growing trust. It is hoped
their stories can inspire more wāhine Māori interested in joining police," Kapua said.