Constable Leslie Cooper reported to the Kaitaia police station yesterday morning to officially begin his career in the force, but he wasn't needing a great deal of orientation.
Like his father Joe, who served in Kaitaia for 11 years from 2002 and is now a Constable 1st Class in Alice Springs, Australia, he grew up at Kareponia, just outside Awanui.
His family converged on the Royal New Zealand Police Training College in Porirua for his graduation, where a further Far North connection was provided by Commissioner Mike Bush, whose 37-year career includes a stint in Kaitaia as a detective in the 1980s.
Meanwhile Joe said he was enjoying his life and work in Australia's Northern Territory, although he had no plans to become a permanent Australian resident. He was part of an Alice Springs force of around 200 police officers, with more at 'bush stations' all over the Territory.
Crime was "pretty bad," much of it alcohol-related, but the Aboriginal people were "incredible," and he was enjoying the opportunity to work with many of their communities outside Alice.
