Sāmoan constable urges Pasifika to join police after running Round the Bays

A Sāmoan police officer from South Auckland is encouraging more Pacific people to consider a career in policing after completing Tāmaki Makaurau’s Round the Bays for the first time.

Constable Alavina Brown, 28, from Papakura Central Police Station, ran the8.4-kilometre course along Tāmaki Drive on Sunday, finishing in 57 minutes alongside her patrol partner, Constable Dantē Noema-Silao.

Brown tucked a small Sāmoan flag into her cap as she ran, honouring her family roots in the villages of Tuana’i and Satuimalufilufi.

“I know a lot of us Pacific people are not runners,” she told PMN News. “But when it comes to going into a career like police, you definitely have to invest.”

More than 31,000 people ran, jogged, walked or wheeled the course in the 54th Southern Cross Round the Bays event, making it New Zealand’s largest mass participation run. The event raised almost $350,000 for charity.

Brown says she felt nervous at the start but the atmosphere helped carry her through the race.

“Once you get there, just the atmosphere, seeing all the different people that were there, joggers, runners, the elite runners and even the walkers,” she said. “It was good. I was running with my partner and his cousins, so it was kind of a family affair, dragging them along.”

A cheery wave at the Round the Bays finish line from Constables Alavina Brown and Dantē Noema-Silao. Photo/Supplied

Police recruitment push

The event also supported a police recruitment drive, highlighting training opportunities at the Royal New Zealand Police College (RNZPC) Auckland Campus, which opened in 2025.

The campus was set up to help grow officer numbers in priority regions such as Tāmaki Makaurau and Northland.

Jill Rogers, Deputy Commissioner, says more recruitment training groups are planned for June and next year, following strong interest from people wanting to train closer to home.

“Many of our Auckland recruits are more established and have families,” Rogers says in a statement.

“They’ve told us their dream of becoming a police officer wouldn’t have been possible without the RNZPC Auckland Campus.”

A culture of service

Pacific people make up about 7.8 per cent of New Zealand Police officers, according to 2023 figures.

Brown hopes that number will grow as more Pasifika see policing as a way to serve their communities.

“Growing up, we were always taught to serve,” she says. “I really wanted to do that for the community that provided my family and me a lot of opportunities.”

Brown has been a police officer for three years and says physical fitness is an important part of the job, both for safety and mental wellbeing.

“We’ve got offenders that run away from us, so obviously we need to be able to keep up with them, or even sometimes lifting things,” she says.

“Some of us use physical training as therapy, providing an escape from work. Other times it’s just being able to be with family.”

She encourages Pacific people thinking about joining the police force to start small when it comes to fitness.

“Even 30 minutes of physical training doesn’t have to be hard, just getting your body moving. You don’t have to go straight to 100. Just do it bit by bit, getting a bit better one per cent at a time.”

Brown says running in Round the Bays reminded her how strong Pacific community support can be.

“The atmosphere was really good,” she said. “Seeing people you know, cheering each other on, even when you’re tired or dehydrated, just makes it all worthwhile.”