Kiwi Indian constable Mandeep Kaur Sidhu has been promoted to Senior Sergeant and was presented with the star on her shoulders by Police Commissioner Andrew Coster at a ceremony earlier this week in Wellington.
Mandeep Kaur had joined New Zealand Police in 2004 and was then the first female India-born officer in New Zealand police.
Announcing the news on social media, Mandeep Kaur said her achievement is not a feat of an individual but a milestone for the women of the South East Asian community who worked hard and now represents them at one of the most coveted positions in the department.
“It’s the success of each South East Asian Woman who I have the honour to represent at Police National Headquarters in New Zealand as Senior Sergeant,” Mandeep Kaur posted on social media.
Mandeep Kaur hails from the Malwa district of Punjab, and her journey to becoming a police officer did come with many personal battles and cultural barriers, which she faced while raising two children on her own back in India.
Mandeep has also formed a New Zealand Police Bhangra-dancing group, and they perform in their Police uniforms at Aotea Square’s Diwali Festival every year.
Mandeep’s previous role was as an Ethnic Peoples Community Relations Officer working from Henderson Police Station in Waitemata, attending community meetings, hosting media programmes, visiting family violence victims and attending matters where there is a need for ethnic or cultural advice.
With her new role as Senior Sergeant, she will move to the police headquarters in Wellington.
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