Job Opportunities in New Zealand

New Zealand Police is working with the community to make New Zealanders be safe and feel safe. With over 13,000 staff, we provide policing services 24 hours a day, every day. We operate by land, sea and air, manage over 860,000 emergency calls a year and are always actively preventing crime and crashes.

We’re working towards specific goals and targets that highlight our intent to work collaboratively with iwi and communities, other government sectors and business partners to deliver ‘Our Business’ and achieve long-term change.

Custody Officer!

• Tasman District – Nelson
• Court Escort and/or Custody Unit Officer
• Permanent – Full Time
• JR4993381

E tῡ ki te kei o te waka, kia pakia koe e ngā ngaru o te wā.
Stand at the stern of the canoe and feel the spray of the future biting at your face


Mō te tūnga | About the role

Our Custody team are seeking a motivated individual (Authorised Officer) to work in the Nelson Custody Unit.

The role of the Authorised Officer is to ensure the safe, secure, and humane containment and transportation of detainees within the Police Custody environment. A Custody environment is any location where a person is in police custody, including cells, courtrooms, prisons, hospitals, and the transit between locations.

You will be responsible for ensuring the health and safety of the detainee, monitoring their behaviour and state of mind, providing the appropriate care, and ensuring professional standards are continuously met.

These duties include, but is not limited to, prisoner management, both in the custody suite and within a court environment, risk management, with an emphasis on keeping staff and prisoners safe from harm, developing and maintaining interagency relationships, data entry and ensuring legislative compliance.

This role is not for the faint hearted and will require someone who is confident, open-minded with attention to detail and willing to follow stringent safety procedures.


Key Accountabilities:

• Strong communication skills, both verbal and written.
• High levels of empathy and compassion.
• Resilience and perseverance, with the ability to de-escalate situations in a calm and professional manner.
• Strong attention to detail, accurate and precise, with the ability to record and prepare information such as statements for court.
• Duty of care, understanding the welfare, health, safety, and level of care required for detainees.
• Strong team player, reliable, trustworthy, flexible to work shifts, weekends, public holidays.
• Decisive, cool, calm, and collected, can think on your feet, using your initiative and work well under pressure.
• Good computer skills and are comfortable learning new systems, as you will be required to input and update data accurately in Police systems, accurate typing abilities are essential.

He aha taau e kawe mai | What you’ll bring

Whilst we are looking for skills, knowledge and experience relevant to the role, we also place high importance on your state of mind, the alignment of your values with ours, your ability to contribute to and build high performing teams, and the way that you lead yourself or others.

Whakaritenga motuhake | Special requirements

• Full (clean) NZ Driver’s License (Class 2 license is an advantage).

• New Zealand Citizen or Permanent Residency.

• Pass a pre-employment drug test and health checks.

• Good command of the English language.

• Strong level of fitness – you will be required to meet the standards of our Physical Assessment.

This role is set at Individual Contributor level, this means your key purpose is “to deliver or enable others to deliver Our Business”.

To view the position description for this role please copy and paste this link into a new browser:
https://www.police.govt.nz/sites/default/files/pd/07-2024/custody_officer_6.pdf

Mo tātou | About us

New Zealand Police is the lead agency responsible for preventing crime and enhancing community safety. It works in partnership with individuals, communities, businesses, and other public sector agencies towards the vision of making New Zealand the safest country. Police is the government’s largest front-line response agency with around 15,000 staff in large and small communities all over New Zealand and in liaison and policing development roles overseas.
Your development is highly valued at NZ Police. Our employees enjoy significant investment in their development not only at an individual level, but also at the team and community practice level. We work hard to match you with work that will both play to your strengths and challenge you in new ways.

The work you’ll be engaged in is real, tangible work that directly benefits our frontline and communities. Taken all together, this means we can offer you career path opportunities to progress in your chosen profession and become a more well-rounded, experienced leader, with opportunities across the range of work we support.

To view more detailed information about our recruitment process along with further details about requirements please click below link:
Applicant Information Pack (External)

Tono ināianei | Apply now

If this position sounds like you, click apply now and submit a tailored CV. You will be required to submit an application form. Before confirmation of hire, pre-employment checks will be undertaken which include reference, drug and alcohol testing and police vetting prior to any written offer being made.

For further information on the application process, please copy and paste this URL: https://www.police.govt.nz/careers

All applications must be submitted online and will not be accepted directly via email. All applicants must have the right to work in New Zealand.

Utu ā-tau | Salary


This position is covered by a collective agreement and salary will commence between $74,748 and $78,129 dependent on skills and experience relevant to the role.

If you are an internal applicant, you must apply internally through the police system. You must provide an alternative contact email address and state your future commitments should you be successful in the next stage of the recruitment process.

Please note: Deadline for applications is 5:00 pm on Friday 1st November. Applications may be reviewed prior to the close date as well as contact made with candidates.

If you have any questions about this vacancy, please contact jeff.masoe@police.govt.nz