Region 2 Auckland/Counties Manukau director Sergeant Andrew Gwilliam (left) and Region 4 Central/Eastern director Senior Sergeant Jonathan "Jono" Redley (right). PHOTO: NZPA
Meet your new Region 2 Auckland/Counties Manukau director, Sergeant Andrew Gwilliam, of Auckland.
What first inspired you to join Police?
I was only 17 when a family friend who was a Police dog handler took me on a ride-along. Seeing the job firsthand, the teamwork and quite simply the job excited me.
What is your current role and what does it involve?
I recently moved into Road Policing after 10 years as a frontline NCO. I’m part of one of six teams based in Auckland City District, looking after traffic-related matters. We usually have two sections working at any one time and cover a population of about 400,000 people.
What’s the best piece of advice you’ve had during your 23-year policing career?
I was lucky enough to work under some great sergeants when I joined Auckland City. One of the key lessons I learnt from them was that supervisors play a major part in shaping team culture. If you create a supportive and positive environment, people will enjoy coming to
work, even when the shifts are tough.
What's the biggest issue that Region 2 members are dealing with?
Region 2 increasingly feels like a training ground for Australia and other parts of New Zealand. We are losing experienced staff to smaller, slower-paced regions where the work/life balance is more manageable.
What’s one change you feel Police should make for the benefit of members?
Consider giving members the option to work paid overtime at special events. Main event hubs often have to provide a substantial number of staff for major events, which places pressure on already busy areas and creates a financial burden. If Police were able to charge appropriately for these events, it could help ease that pressure while also giving members the opportunity to earn some additional income. At the moment, we provide this service at no cost while event organisers can make a significant profit.
What do you believe the association should focus on most in the next few years?
Police employees and constabulary staff are one team, and their pay agreements should progress hand in hand. Both groups play vital roles in delivering policing services, and neither could effectively do their job without the support of the other. Fair and aligned agreements recognise the value everyone brings to keeping our communities safe.
How would you describe yourself – at home and as a police officer?
At home, I’d like to think I’m pretty relaxed and family focused. I enjoy being around my family and making the most of time away from work. As a police officer, I try to be calm, fair and approachable with a splash of humour. I believe in looking after the people around me, supporting my team and keeping a sense of humour even when things are busy.
If your colleagues had to sum you up in three words, what might they say?
Loyal. Passionate. Resilient.
How do you switch off after your shift?
Like most police officers, I don’t always switch off straight away. But I try to reset by spending time with family, keeping a sense of humour and doing normal, everyday things that remind me there’s life outside the job.
What’s something about you that might surprise most people?
I've only broken one bone, and it happened when I ran into a wall playing futsal. Not my finest moment.
Meet your new Region 4 Central/Eastern director, Senior Sergeant Jonathan “Jono” Redley, of Palmerston North.
What first inspired you to join Police?
I looked at joining when I was 19 and got told to go away and get some life experience. Five years later, I was a mechanic. A friend was good friends with highway patrol officer Senior Constable (retired) John Ahern. Listening to his “better work stories” reminded me that it was something I had always wanted to do and I began the recruitment journey.
What is your current role and what does it involve?
I am a senior sergeant in the Central District command centre (DCC). As well as attempting to provide as much support and advice as we can, the DCC is responsible for deployment of staff across Central District, along with risk management and incident reporting and escalation.
What’s the best piece of advice you’ve had during your 15-year policing career?
To be yourself. You are who you are, and you should be true to that. Don’t try to be someone else.
What’s the biggest issue that Region 4 members are dealing with?
Numbers on the street and experience, especially in the public safety teams (PST). Even when you do have the numbers, quite often more than half of PST don’t have permanent appointment and have been out of Police College for less than a year. It’s a real risk to all our members.
What’s one change you feel Police should make for the benefit of members?
Mandatory psychiatric check-ups and debriefs for all staff, not just those on specialist teams or units.
What should the association focus on most in the next few years?
Having been through a recent pay round as a negotiator, I think there is a lot of work to do in the remuneration space, particularly as the remuneration design work builds into a collective and we seek to really reward staff for the work they do.
How would you describe yourself – at home and as a police officer?
In both regards, I like to be busy. I get bored easily. I like to take on new challenges, whether it’s a complete reno at home or keeping busy at work – I don’t like sitting still.
If your colleagues had to sum you up in three words, what might they say?
One can only imagine… Hopefully something like “a good bugger”.
How do you switch off after your shift?
I’m lucky that my best friends are also in the job, so if it’s a particularly rough day, I can vent to them. My wife has worked in the courts for longer than I’ve been in Police, so she knows what this job can throw at you, and she is great to download to. I have three children, all girls; the youngest is three and she is pretty good at making you realise what’s important.
What’s something about you that might surprise most people?
No doubt I will regret writing this, but when I was about 19-20 years old, I applied for a job at Freedom Air. I got taken on just as they merged with Air New Zealand and I became an inflight service manager – until I got bored and moved on. It may sound like a cool job, but it was literally heading to Australia, couple of hours turnaround, and back the other way.
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