They pride themselves on having better work stories, and now more of our police force will be able to tell those stories in another language.
Auckland police staff take time from their busy schedules for a two-hour Mandarin lesson every Thursday.
The classes were launched to help the officers better communicate with Auckland's growing Chinese population.
"I know in some countries, they wouldn’t normally speak to police and in New Zealand, sometimes there's a fear of police," Police Constable Debi Leahy said.
"I think even being able to introduce ourselves in Mandarin – I think that’ll absolutely break those walls down."
The officers are also learning about Chinese culture as part of their lessons, including lucky numbers and etiquette during home visits.
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