A Day in the life of the... Diplomatic Protection Service
“I think a common misconception about us is that we do nothing and stay in flash hotels,” Senior Sergeant Marc May explained to Police News. In reality though this is simply not the case.
Most of the work undertaken by the squad is completed behind the scenes - out of the public eye.
“When people see us standing next to the Prime Minister or Prince William, they are only seeing a fraction of what our job entails, which can leave them with a fragmented view of what we do.
“Naturally we want people to know there is a lot more to our job than that,” Mr May said.
Taking responsibility
The DPS provides close protection for the New Zealand Prime Minister, the Governor- General, other members of Parliament, the Diplomatic Corps, the Judiciary, foreign Governments VIPs, Heads of State and foreign VIPs.”
Mr May said international law and Police National Headquarters dictated decisions around who was afforded the squad’s services.
Membership details
There are 34 DPS members in New Zealand. These members are supported by nationally qualified part-time protection staff as well as a full-time VIP Protection Squad based in Auckland.
To secure a spot on the DPS, serving police officers must complete extensive training in close protection theory; firearms and defensive driving training, unarmed combat, physical training, and advanced first aid.
All protection officers cross-train as Advance Officers and security car drivers, and senior DPS members eventually graduate to the role of Close Protection Team Leader.
Inspector Terry ONeill, o/c of the DPS saidthat DPS members continue to upskill throughout their career.
Skills required
Mr May said possessing an above average ability in driving and the use of firearms was definitely an advantage for anyone interested in becoming a DPS member.
Self confidence, excellent communication skills, intelligence and being a team player are also desired qualities.
“People who are good under pressure and think fast on their feet, do well in this kind of job,” Mr May said.
Got it covered
Before any VIP visit, the DPS conducts a security site survey of all venues, accommodation and routes which will be used during the VIP’s visit.
During this time, all venues must be visited and security plans created for each place, which means many meetings with all the various agencies involved.
“Thorough planning, excellent communication and teamwork is very important during this process,” Mr May said.
“Protection staff will be on hand well before the VIP’s first engagement of the day and will not retire until the VIP is tucked up in bed.”
Overnight security arrangements will be in place and the team will remain on immediate stand-by throughout the operation, Mr May told Police News.
The good parts
One of the best things about being a DPS member was seeing the world from a point of view few people ever got to see, Mr May said.
“Because you are working so closely with the VIP you get to see the human face of the people you’re protecting.
Sometimes this is a privilege, other times it is not, however you always have to remain professional.
“More often than not though, the people are pretty good to deal with”, he said
Another highlight for Mr May throughout his career as a DPS member has been the overseas travel involved.
“All members travel overseas and because our team travels with the Prime Minister wherever he goes, we have been everywhere from Africa to war zones.”
Mr May also recently completed a “royal hat trick of sorts” after working beside Prince William during his visit.
“I worked beside Prince Charles in 1994 and the Queen in 1990, so working alongside Prince William while he was here was pretty special,” he said.
Being challenged
More challenging aspects of the job include working extremely long hours, ever increasing operational commitments and widespread general ignorance of the role and responsibilities of the DPS, Mr May said.
“During a VIP escort currently it is common for DPS members to work 110-hours plus a week.
“It’s not easy but it is necessary if we want our operations to be a complete success,” Mr May said.
Room for growth
Following the September 11 attacks New Zealand Police responded by acting to mitigate the risk to our Prime Minister and Governor-General when they travel overseas.
This has meant more overseas travel for DPS members. New Zealand’s growing profile on the
Mr May believed these increases would continue. “As our job continues to grow some of the jobs we did in the early days, such as accommodation security and the driving of the pilot cars during a VIP visit, have now been delegated to district police.”
The early days
The DPS was formed in the mid-1970s after a number of terrorist incidents overseas.
It was established by the New Zealand Police to meet New Zealand’s obligations under the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic and Consular Relations, and the United Nations Convention on International Protected Persons, which deal with the safety and security of foreign diplomats.
