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This paper seeks to critique the Winfree and Taylor report on rural, small town, and metropolitan police in New Zealand.

Compares and contrasts the conclusions to some earlier findings of Jaeger in her research on increasing the diversity of the New Zealand police. The question asked is: “Can universal research methodology on classical policing and community policing be applied carte blanche to organizational studies in New Zealand without ‘local’ input?”.

Jaeger's research, through in‐depth interviews of twenty ethnic police officers, suggested possible alternative conclusions that were not apparent when Winfree and Taylor, reporting from a distance, applied detailed statistical analysis to a 1996 dataset. The paper suggests that a combination of the two approaches might lead to a more complete and truthful representation of the reality.

Critiques an earlier report on the police in New Zealand published in Policing: An International Journal of Police Strategies & Management.

Over seas research suggests benefits in having staff from ethnic minorities for po licing multicultural communities. This study ‐ part of a larger study investigating recruitment barriers and retention issues of ethnic minorities in the New Zealand Police ‐ presents the views of personnel from minority cultures about how they experience their professional roles within the organisation. The paper pre ents data from twenty in‐depth interviews conducted with police staff from one police region. Results of the study support overseas research and highlight New Zealand ‐ specific issues. While the sample size is small, the in‐depth interviews provide a rich data source. The paper presents new insights into how New Zealand Police officers from a range of cultural backgrounds perceive the contribution a culturally diverse workforce can make to policing. The study has practical implications for police recruitment and diversity policies.