Tusha Penny: Assistant Police Commissioner discusses negative feedback on newly recruited officers

Police are acknowledging they're not perfect, as it's revealed junior officers are 'barely equipped' with the basics. 

A survey of training officers has found two thirds are concerned about probationary constables’ understanding of police responsibilities when holding suspects in custody. 

Assistant Police Commissioner Tusha Penny says transparent graduate tracking is important to the organisation, so there will be more of it.

She says a review is underway, and there will be some changes to the curriculum early next year.

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
More ranks around our new police recruits. We've got a
survey canvassing senior police views that says cops leaving college
are barely equipped with the basics of arresting, laying charges.
Eighty three percent of respondents also felt the new recruits
were poor at organizing official paperwork and a touch a
penny as the assistant police commissioner and is with us morning.

Speaker 2 (00:17):
Good morning, Mike.

Speaker 1 (00:18):
Do we have a problem with our recruits.

Speaker 2 (00:22):
No, we don't have a problem. We're putting out police
officers after twenty weeks that are already for their two
year of probationary constable training.

Speaker 1 (00:31):
So how do we explain the survey and the concern
within the force.

Speaker 2 (00:35):
So the survey is really important because, like anything, we
know we're not perfect and we know these always areas
to improve. I mean, the survey had some good results,
we were doing well, but to your point, it had
three key areas that we really need to look at
and that's under review at the moment to see how
we improve.

Speaker 1 (00:52):
So will changes be made?

Speaker 2 (00:55):
Yeah? Absolutely, Look, we are the nature of policing now,
we're so dynamics that we we need to keep graduate tracking.
We need to actually really challenge ourselves. We're doing a
review at the moment and early next year we will
be making some changes to the curriculum.

Speaker 1 (01:10):
In the meantime, before you make those changes, do we
have a bad bunch or a batch or two of
these people have come through that aren't quite up to scratch.

Speaker 2 (01:17):
Oh no, Look, we have ordinary new Zealanders who take
on an extraordinary role. They come in and we do
twenty weeks training. Look like it's like anything. It is
the start of your apprenticeship. We've got mister and missus
Smith who come in and within twenty one weeks they
are actually securing some powers that we take really seriously.

(01:38):
So this is just part of their trade ship.

Speaker 1 (01:41):
Is this any different to what you've seen previously? I
mean the fact this is in the public domaind do
you review this on an ongoing basis and tweak and
twist when you need to?

Speaker 2 (01:51):
So, yes we do. I mean we just increased from
sixteen weeks to twenty weeks. In January twenty four you
will see more of this. We need to make sure
that our graduate trekking is on the mark because policing
is changing and is dynamics, so we will do more
and more of this, and we just need to be
transparent and open and say you know what we're searching.
We're looking at other jurisdictions. We are really deliberate about

(02:13):
wanting to put out great police officers, so you will
see more of this not there.

Speaker 1 (02:17):
Do you face what many employers in this economy face
at the moment, Getting good people is increasingly hard.

Speaker 2 (02:24):
Well, look for every one hundred applicants we get who
want to join place, we take just under ten, So
our standards are really high. Looks recruitment across the world.
I don't know what it's like the journalism, Mike, but
we're working really hard to get the right people into
the organization.

Speaker 1 (02:40):
It's shocking for journalism, I can tell you that for nothing.
So Mark Mitchell earlier on this morning said it's world class.
You would confer not wanting to get you in trouble
with Mark Mitchell, of course, but you would confer it
as world class, remains world class, and you're confident of
what you do.

Speaker 2 (02:55):
Well. I appreciate you not wanting me to get in
trouble with the minister, but look, Mike, we are constantly
trying to be the best we can be and We
know that we have worked to do, but here today
what I can ensure all of New Zealanders. We just
have such amazing police officers on the frontline doing the
absolute toughest jobs they can do. We have work to

(03:16):
do in training, of course we do. Are we going
to be perfect? Probably not, but are we going to
try bloody hard. Absolutely good to.

Speaker 1 (03:22):
Hear, nice to talk to. You appreciate it very much.
Touch A Penny, who was the Assistant Police Commissioner. For
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