WELCOME: Jymahl Glassey, new Masterton police officer, is looking forward to making a contribution. PHOTO/LYNDA FERINGA
Wairarapa has welcomed a new Senior Sergeant, Jymahl Glassey.
Mr Glassey, 35, took up the position this month, replacing Carolyn Watson.
Born and bred in Pahiatua, Mr Glassey attended Tararua College and played rugby for Bush.
He worked the beat in the town from 2002 to 2005 before moving to Palmerston North, where he was a sergeant, after which he returned to Pahiatua to work as officer-in-charge in 2011.
He had spent the last three months back in Palmerston North, as acting senior sergeant.
Mr Glassey has just over 10 years of policing experience. When asked if he was young to be a senior sergeant, he said it was becoming "more and more common" for people his age to be promoted to the position.
Outside the police force, Mr Glassey enjoys travelling and said he tried to head overseas every three or four months.
"I like to get out and do a bit of travel, even if it's just to Australia for a break.
"I've got a couple of trips booked in."
He said he would miss Pahiatua but was looking forward to some good Wairarapa weather.
"I'll just miss the community in Pahiatua, it was a really good community. It's a little bit bigger down here but the people are really polite and it seems very easy to fit into.
"I'm looking forward to trying to contribute to a station that's content and happy with their work, and for the community, clearly, we want to reduce crime and just as important is to reduce the effects of crime on the victims.
"Unfortunately, crime is always going to be there but what we need to do, as police, is make sure the victims get the best response they can."
The 19-year-old was found in a remote area in the hills of Upper Hutt.