Real events inspire recruit drive

The extraordinary deeds performed by police officers every day provide inspiration for Police’s latest recruitment drive.

The campaign revolves around the stories of five officers and their work.

Over two weeks in July, four street art installations were created by well-known artist Otis Frizzell in Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch.

The Wellington story went up first and shows a child being protected by Detective Kylie Schaare of the Wellington District Child Protection Team. At night, a light projection casts the shadow of an advancing offender.

The Auckland story shows Constables Madeline Roberts and Julia Vahry chasing an offender down an alleyway.

Detective Kylie Schaare’s child protection work inspired street art by Otis Frizzell (left). Photo: Oliver Sealy

Two Christchurch installations draw on earthquake-related events. Constable Spence Kingi is featured rescuing a woman from the rubble while Constable Nao Yoshimizu is shown consoling a Japanese victim’s family member.

The art works were arranged with the full consent of property owners and support of the local city council.

They form a jumping-off point for an ongoing recruitment drive with online, outdoor and interactive publicity.

The initiative aims to get young people thinking about a police career in a different light, says Viv Rickard, Deputy Commissioner Resource Management.

“Good quality young people have many options available to them. We want them to know Police is a rewarding career option with many different and satisfying pathways,” he says.

“It’s not all about muscle – we need people with good communication skills, compassion, intelligence, and leadership qualities.

“We also need young people from different ethnic backgrounds who can speak different languages.”