She's the boss
For Deputy Police Commissioner Lyn Provost, the diverse workload is the second best thing about her job.
“I’ve always liked the big picture. The breadth of the portfolio is something I really enjoy,” she says. And it’s a good thing she enjoys variety. As well as being responsible for human resources, finance, training and development, information technology and more, Mrs Provost also oversees the Wellington, Northland, Eastern and Central police districts. To her, being part of the management of such a large organisation is about strategy – keeping track of all the separate strands without losing sight of the main goals. “It’s about finding the vision for an organisation, and making sure you align everybody to that vision.”
Mrs Provost brought her strategic skills to the role of DPC in 2001. Some of the achievements she’s proud to have been involved with are reductions in crime and crashes, improvements in financial management, and an updated computer system.
But what she loves most about her job is the people. Mrs Provost has been out on night patrol, accompanied youth staff working in schools, watched the Armed Offenders Squad in action, seen detectives working on big operations, visited the 111 call centre and met recruits at the Police College. “I try to get around the whole range of policing activities that go on. It’s great to talk to the people in the community and the officers I'm out with.”
Mrs Provost is the first woman to be appointed DPC. She says she has always believed in people being judged on their merits, but understands the significance of her role for those around her.
“I think that having women role models in senior positions is very important for other women coming through the system.”
Mrs Provost is also the first non-sworn person to be given the job, but her civilian status hasn’t posed a problem for her. “The majority of people have accepted me for who I am and what I’ve achieved. In a lot of ways it’s been an advantage – it’s given a fresh set of eyes to the organisation.”
Mrs Provost says the challenge now is to make sure that every time a member of the public has contact with the police, it’s a positive experience. “Public confidence in police has tracked downwards in recent years. We’re looking at how we can improve our service. It’s easy to focus on negative aspects, but the vast majority of what’s done is stunningly good.” And it seems this faith in the system is what keeps Mrs Provost interested and enthusiastic about her job. “We’ve had our good times and our less-than-good times, but I always know that no matter the time of day or night, New Zealand police are out there helping people. It's hugely satisfying.”
L to R, Deputy Commissioner Steve Long, Minister of Police, Annette King, Deputy Commissioner Lyn Provost