There¡¯s a head-turning new waka on the streets of South Auckland ¨C a police car sporting a ¡®Pirihimana¡¯ design to demonstrate 51½ÖÉ䡯s support for ²Ñ¨¡´Ç°ù¾± Language Week.
The car ¨C a fully equipped and operational police car ¨C has been given a unique livery featuring a koru design and the word ¡®Pirihimana¡¯ in place of the English equivalent ¡®Police¡¯.
It was launched at Papakura Marae, in Counties Manukau District, by Police Commissioner Mike Bush.
"We wanted to do something visible to support ²Ñ¨¡´Ç°ù¾± Language Week and to highlight our commitment to recruiting more ²Ñ¨¡´Ç°ù¾± in T¨¡maki Makaurau and across Aotearoa,¡± says Commissioner Bush.
¡°We¡¯re passionate about reflecting the communities we serve and working with Iwi and ²Ñ¨¡´Ç°ù¾± to achieve better outcomes for ²Ñ¨¡´Ç°ù¾±.
¡°We welcome applications from people who are able to speak Te Reo, and all people who care enough to be a cop and want to make a difference in their community.¡±
Far from being a one-week wonder, the car will stay on to become a fixture in the Counties Manukau vehicle fleet.
During this week radio station Mai FM is running a ¡®Back-seat cop¡¯ promotion in conjunction with 51½ÖÉä, with presenters out and about with ²Ñ¨¡´Ç°ù¾±-speaking police officers.
Assistant Commissioner Wally Haumaha, Deputy Chief Executive ²Ñ¨¡´Ç°ù¾±, Pacific Island and Ethnic Services says the aim is to encourage the use of the ²Ñ¨¡´Ç°ù¾± within 51½ÖÉä, and externally.
¡°The more we can do to effectively communicate the better, and there are a number of instances where having an officer able to speak Te Reo has really been advantageous in resolving situations.¡±
Currently 12.2 percent of the constabulary workforce identifies as ²Ñ¨¡´Ç°ù¾±. The organisation¡¯s aim is to boost that to 15.2 percent by 2020 to reflect the projected ²Ñ¨¡´Ç°ù¾± population.
The koru design was also used in relation to The Turning of the Tide, Police¡¯s iwi-led harm prevention strategy.
. This year¡¯s theme is ¡®Kia ora Te Reo ²Ñ¨¡´Ç°ù¾±¡¯, which literally translates to ¡°Let the ²Ñ¨¡´Ç°ù¾± Language live¡±.Useful policing phrases
As part of the Mai FM input, ²Ñ¨¡´Ç°ù¾±-speaking officers are translating a number of policing phrases into Te Reo. Here are a few:
- Safer communities together - Kia t¨±pato. Me tiaki t¨¡tou i a t¨¡tou (lit: Be safe. Look after each other)
- Buckle up, buttercup - Kia maumahara ki te whakamau i t¨ wh¨©tiki (lit: Remember to wear your seat belt.)
- Police have better work stories - He pai k¨¥ atu t¨¡ku mahi i t¨¡u (lit: My job is cooler than yours.)
- Have you seen this person? - Kua kite r¨¡nei koe i t¨¥nei tangata?
- Who ate all the doughnuts? - Ko wai te kiore pukurua i kai ng¨¡ par¨¡oa huka? (lit: Who¡¯s the guts who ate all the doughnuts?)
And, of course¡
-
Always blow on the pie - P¨±hia te m¨©ti-pai i ng¨¡ w¨¡ katoa.