logo
Jasleen returns to Te Puke as trailblazing police constable

Jasleen returns to Te Puke as trailblazing police constable

NZ Herald03-05-2025

Workplace variety
One of the attractions was the idea that no two days of police work were the same.
'It's [also] something different. There are not a lot of female Indians in the job and there are a lot of things behind that – the thinking in our community that girls are not as strong as boys, or they may not be able to handle situations as men can, but my mum and dad always taught me that there's nothing that I cannot do that a guy can do, so I thought 'yes', let's do this.'
After leaving Te Puke High School, Jasleen did a pre-police course.
'I had a few setbacks with Covid and a few injuries but eventually made it and went through Police College which was a good experience. It was hard to be away from home, but I had the support of my mum and dad and sister.'
More to offer
Jasleen quickly realised the impact she could have as a police officer.
'I realised I had way more to offer than I thought, just by being an Indian female, just going to jobs where there were Indian females who were afraid just to talk to males or non-Indian officers.'
She found people opened up to her, and that sometimes resulted in action being taken that might not otherwise have been possible.
'Just being an Indian female and being there, being able to talk to them in their native language is really helpful.'
Hometown
Her parents were both born in India and the family lived in Italy for a decade before moving to New Zealand and Te Puke.
'I love this town, so when I saw the opportunity to come here, I jumped at it.
'As well as being home, it offered the chance for a different type of policing than she had previously experienced.
'It was good experience [working in Tauranga], but this is different – out here it's a different community and there were things lacking in my policing experience such as rural work.'
Jasleen recognised the potential challenges of working as a police officer in the community where she lived.
'But I've got to manage it – I may know this person, or this person might be my neighbour.'
Jasleen spoke both Punjabi and Hindi and still had a little Italian. She believed her background, culture and being multilingual would help her communication with the people she comes into contact with through work, and give her colleagues perspective by being able to explain Indian culture and religion.
'It's good to have me here where I can say this is why this is happening, or this is what's causing the issue.'
She hoped to inspire other females with Indian heritage to follow in her footsteps.
Te Puke Police Sergeant Mike Owen has welcomed Jasleen to the station.
'She brings with her a good skill set of all-around knowledge and is really looking forward to her becoming part of the team here and the community.'

Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Voluntary roles proving hard to fill
Voluntary roles proving hard to fill

Otago Daily Times

time3 days ago

  • Otago Daily Times

Voluntary roles proving hard to fill

PHOTO: ODT FILES Queenstowners seem less willing to put their hands up for voluntary roles than before, a community arts stalwart says. Queenstown Arts Society chairwoman Tracy Porteous says the organisation has been looking for a treasurer for nearly six months, and the situation's "getting urgent". It's also getting difficult to fill its committee roles, something she's aware other local non-profits are also struggling with. Porteous says she's noticed a "sea change" in people's willingness to volunteer, and thinks the Covid pandemic and ensuing economic shock may be partly to blame. "I think the new economic realities of life are slowing people down in terms of giving service to the community." A fine arts photographer who has been the arts society's chair for the past 18 months, she says incorporated societies are required by law to fill the roles in their constitutions. Those requirements are set to become more stringent next year when new legislation comes into effect. When a lack of volunteers puts too onerous a burden on committee members, there's a risk of people walking away. She's urging locals to think about how they can contribute, because in her experience "you receive a lot in return". "You feel more connected, and you see the value of the effort you make, which feels good."

Sharp jump in Covid-19, respiratory infections
Sharp jump in Covid-19, respiratory infections

RNZ News

time3 days ago

  • RNZ News

Sharp jump in Covid-19, respiratory infections

Photo: 123rf Environmental Science and Research (ESR) data shows flu and Covid infections are on the rise, with a sharp jump in hospitalisations for severe respiratory infections across Auckland in the past week. Meanwhile, GPs warn they are already under pressure. After phoning her GP clinic several times last week trying to get an urgent appointment, one desperate Lower Hutt resident decided to go to Lower Hutt After-Hours Medical Centre on Friday. "Google suggested it was busiest from when it opened 5.30pm to 7pm, so I went down at 7pm, and there was a sign up saying they weren't taking any more patients today." Her post on a community Facebook page attracted more than 100 comments, including from many patients who had had the same experience. She returned the next morning as soon as it opened at 8am, and finally got treatment. "The staff do the best they can, and it's not anything to do with the people doing their job. There are just not enough people to go around." Lower Hutt After-Hours Medical Centre was the only walk-in clinic for a population of more than 100,000 people. Manager Mark O'Connor said they treated about 45 patients a night on average, but there were times they had to turn people away. "Especially coming into this time of year with winter, we're just overloaded. We can have 20 or 30 people queuing up at the door at 5.30pm and we'll have three, even four, doctors on at times. But we just can't see everyone." ESR data showed hospitalisations for severe respiratory infections jumped more than 50 percent in the week to 1 June, although the rate remained about the same as last year. Calls to Healthline for influenza-like-illnesses increased, but were lower than at the same time last year. There were five reported outbreaks of respiratory illness: three in aged-care facilities in Nelson-Marlborough, Capital and Coast and Bay of Plenty, and two in early childhood centres, both in the Wellington region. O'Connor said seasonal pressure was compounded by the GP shortage. "Because of some patients not being able to get into their doctor during the day, we're seeing a lot more than just the usual winter type thing. We're seeing a lot more mental health and more other injuries." The clinic was moving to larger premises at the end of next month, and had funding to extend its hours from the end of the year. "The next step is to find the staff." Professor Dame Helen Stokes-Lampard. Photo: supplied Health NZ national chief medical officer Professor Dame Helen Stokes-Lampard said patients who could not get in to see their GPs - or could not enrol with a GP at all - often resorted to hospital emergency departments (EDs) . "We know there is a direct correlation between pressure on EDs and primary care services that are struggling. But EDs are not set up in the same way - it's not there to deal with respiratory illnesses, the more basic but high-volume illnesses that general practice is so well set up for, so that is a challenge." Health NZ was prepared for the inevitable winter surge - lining up extra staff, "optimising" beds and running vaccination campaigns, she said. More than 1 million New Zealanders have already had flu vaccinations this year, while only about quarter of a million are up-to-date with Covid-19 boosters. "That's similar to last year, we would really love it to be higher. The challenge is there are some people who don't have confidence in vaccination or find it difficult to access healthcare. And for those people we are really trying to do more in terms of outreach, working with community providers." percent20Region&log_or_linear=linear.=eighteenMonthsButton ESR wastewater testing showed Covid infections were on the rise again - up 75 percent in a week (between 18 and 25 May), well ahead of reported cases. South Auckland GP Allan Moffitt told First Up current variants were "not as virulent", but Covid was still dangerous for people with low immunity - and flu could also be deadly . "I've actually had several patients end up in hospital with influenza, so it's not a nice bug to have - it's not just the common cold." Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero, a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into the world of global news and events? Download our app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store