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A sense of resentment and outrage is festering among some police officers at a leadership programme aimed at helping Asian police to climb through the ranks, with one constable accusing the organisation of engaging in "reverse racism".
The officer, who did not want to be named, said if Asian officers were good enough they should climb up the ranks "in the same way as the rest of us" - and not get promotions only because they had been helped by their bosses.
Another police member, who also did not want to be identified, told the Herald that some junior staff were feeling "threatened and jealous" that help was given to boost the careers of Asian officers.
But police, who are holding their first national leadership course for Asian officers next month in Ponsonby, deny the claims of racism.
Bosses say the programme came about because of need, and that race and ethnicity had nothing to do with their decision to run the course specifically for Asians.
"This is not an ethnic-based call; the call was made based on need, a need to help bring our staff make-up to the same level of the communities we serve," said Kefeng Chu, police national strategic adviser (Maori Pacific Ethnic services).
The police programme, called the Auckland Metro Asian/Ethnic Constable Development, will run for a week from March 17 at Ponsonby Cruising Club and will be attended by 21 Asian officers.
Mr Chu said the New Zealand police were way behind their mark in having staffing that was representative of communities they served, especially in Auckland where 20 per cent have Asian backgrounds.
It was hoped this programme could help speed the promotion of Asian officers to higher leadership.
"We need Asian officers up there in our leadership who can provide input and help police in strategic planning, and at the moment we don't have that," Mr Chu said. "We only have three sergeants of Asian background in Auckland and this is far from our ideal target."
According to the 2007 police annual report, only 1.6 per cent of the people employed by the organisation are of Asian descent, but the 2006 Census showed Asians make up 9.3 per cent of the population.
North Shore district commander Superintendent Viv Rickard, who sponsored this Asian leadership course, also defended the programme.
"Asian officers give us a different insight into their communities and we need more of them to better police our increasingly diverse society," he said. "But there is also an even bigger need to have more input from Asians and ethnic minorities higher up in police leadership."
Mr Rickard said programmes for minority groups were nothing new. Last year, a similar course was conducted for Maori and Pacific Islanders, and there were also leadership programmes for women officers.
Mr Chu said the Asian leadership programme would not mean automatic promotion for participants but was aimed at helping to equip them with the skills they would need should that happen.
