1. What kind of people decide to join the police? Would you ever consider joining the police force? Why? Why not?
2. What qualities do you need to be a police officer? What physical/mental aptitudes do they need?
3. What has been your experience of the police? Have you found them polite and courteous, or rude/uninterested? Do they ever abuse their power?
4. Do your police officers reflect their communities?
5. Is it/has it been easy to recruit new officers in your country? How is this done?
6. What makes police recruitment difficult, do you think? Why might police forces try to recruit from minority communities?
Watch video here: Police Recruit Video
Read script here: Police Recruit Script
7. What image did you get of policing after watching? What communities did you see represented? What values were represented?
8. Who is the video aimed at? Do you think it is effective? Do you think everyday police work is exciting, varied, and well-paid? How do you imagine a policeman/woman's daily duties in your country?
9. Does the police force in your country target any particular demographic when recruiting?
10. How were police officers perceived in real life/movies in the 1970/80s? How are they different from the police of today?
11. There was a surge in popularity in the 1970s for US police series on UK television. Did this happen in your country? What types of officer were portrayed? Would they be recruited these day?
12. What vignettes would you see in a 1975 Hollywood police recruitment video, do you think?
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Situation
You are the chief of New Zealand police. You have called a press conference to announce your new recruitment campaign. Make it clear that the police force is modernising and this is reflected in your video. Answer any questions from the awaiting journalists (your teacher).
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Discuss quotes
"Police are the people and people are the police”
― Robert Peel
"When police or security personnel work in schools, they should follow the community policing model that integrates officers into school life, not just involve them when trouble arises."
- Randi Weingarten
"In keeping people straight, principle is not as powerful as a policeman.”
– Abel Hermant
Student handout PDF: Police Recruit
Photo: Amina Filkins