News

‘A Day in the Life’ is an exciting initiative designed to give our Tennant Creek senior Stars a closer insight into a future work role that has sparked their interest.

The initiative aims to help students better understand the pathway to the career, get some realistic exposure to the work environment, and be better informed on the daily responsibilities of the job.

In Term 1, our first ‘Day in the Life’ student was Shakira, who spent some time in the shoes of Tennant Creek Aboriginal Community Police Officer, Whitney Roe.

First, Shakira was taken on a tour of the Tennant Creek Police Station and shown through several police vehicles. She also learnt how the station manages its Watch House.

Shakira also had an opportunity to speak with some other police officers, including Senior Detective Kyle Gunderson, an Indigenous man from the Tiwi Islands and Tennant Creek.

Shakira was later exposed to Whitney’s role as a School-Based Constable, joining her on a student engagement session at Tennant Creek Primary School.

“We talked to the junior students about the importance of school and Shakira showed fantastic leadership and spoke very well with the students,” Whitney said.

“Aboriginal Community Policing is a fantastic job and it has helped me become a strong leader for my family and other Indigenous women.”

Shakira says speaking with the students at the school was a highlight.

“It was good to be able to tell them about the great things they can achieve with an education. It also showed me that being a police officer means being a positive role model and a leader in your community.”

“Before spending the day with Whitney, I didn’t know much about the Aboriginal Community Police Officers (APCOs) group. I think it’s a good idea to have people in these roles who know and understand the communities they are working with.”

Shakira was delighted to be able to explore more deeply the role of a police officer and says she is now much better informed about what she needs to do prior to completing Year 12, including getting some work experience and gaining her driver’s licence.

Whitney will be following up the visit and Shakira’s interest in joining the force by providing her with further information and referrals to join the NT Junior Cadet Police Academy in the NT.