Lavleen Kaur stands as a cultural icon breaking stereotypes, a crime at a time. Born in Goa, where her father served in the navy and shipbuilding, Kaur's journey to New Zealand was laden with hopes and dreams.
Migrating to New Zealand as a 13-year-old, she faced the typical challenges of assimilating into a new culture and navigating the nuances of school life in west Auckland.
The 30-year-ols says her roots in a family entrenched in armed forces proved to be the bedrock of her resilience.
"Serving humanity runs in the blood, whether from my family or religious background. My family, including my grandparents, parents, uncles, have all been in the forces, be it army, military or air force.”
Highlighting the influence of Sikh values that advocate for equality, social justice, and service (sewa) to humanity, she says, “I am very proud to be born into a Sikh family where Sikh values and ethics have been embedded into me from childhood.”
The year 2013 marked her initiation into the police force, unleashing a whirlwind of physical and mental challenges.
"I joined the police soon after high school and was trained to meet the physical requirements to get through the fitness aspect of the recruitment process by my father, who has been a huge support behind me joining the NZ Police.
“Passing the swimming requirement was probably the hardest part, followed by attending police college down in Wellington for 16 weeks," she says.
From a rookie grappling with firearms to a confident officer handling high-stakes duty with finesse, her metamorphosis was nothing short of cinematic.
“At the end of the 16-week recruitment process, after having passed all the requirements of joining the NZ Police, the pride that I saw not only on the faces of my family members but also the wider community took all the memories of those tough times away, and when I think about it now, it has been an experience I would cherish all my life,” she says.
In 2017, when she was working as a constable she was recognised with an area commander's commendation at Counties Manukau Police district awards. It was regarding an event in 2016 when she prevented a crime and averted causing serious injury to the intended victim in Papatoetoe.
Shifting the topic to her role, Kaur, who became a detective with Criminal Investigation Branch - Counties Manukau District in the year 2018, says her role involves diving into the murky waters of serious and complex crimes.
"Being a detective involves studying and passing a detective development course and completing 10 modules within two years. It is a challenging job where sometimes you face tough situations.
“But the satisfaction I receive by seeing the difference I have made in the lives of members of my community is probably the best part of my job," she says, pointing out her calm and composed mindset becomes the lighthouse in turbulent seas.
Amidst the challenges, Kaur reveals her secret weapon–a Sikh hymn learned in her youth. "I remember learning kirtan (religious hymns) as a young child, and the first-ever shabad I learnt was;
“Deh siva bar mohe eh-hey subh karman te kabhu na taro
Na daro arr seo jab jaye laro nischey kar apni jit karo
Arr Sikh ho apne he mann ko, eh laalach hou gun tau ucharo
Jab aav ki audh nidan bane att he rann me tabh joojh maro
“The English translation of this is;
“Dear God, grant my request so that I may never deviate from doing good deeds.
That I shall have no fear when I go into battle and with determination, I will be victorious.
That, I may teach my mind to only sing your praises.
And when the time comes, I should die fighting heroically on the battle field."
Kaur peers into the future with aspirations to empower and mentor the next generation of police officers. "My goals within the NZ Police are to be able to empower and mentor new and upcoming Police officers and to gain more experience within my role to advance into becoming a future leader within the NZ Police," she says.