talk of hopes and motivations for joining force
Out of 70 constables who graduated in Wing 355 on Thursday, 24 are wāhine Māori - a record number.
In 2017 there were only 22 out of the entire year's 496 graduates.
Commissioner Andrew Coster called it a good sign but he recognised there was still a way to go.
"It's fundamentally important that when New Zealanders look at their police service they can see themselves in it," Coster said.
"We deal with really diverse communities with really diverse problems and the best way for us to properly understand what's happening inside those communities is to be able to have insight from our own people and that's what that's all about."
Graduate Chanya-Rose Ruka was very clear about why she joined the force.
"I had a lot of family trauma, a lot of abuse that happened in my family," Chanya-Rose said.
Link to video and article: Wāhine Māori police graduates talk of hopes and motivations for joining force | RNZ News
