After seven years working with the New Zealand Police, Brooke joined the Auror team in 2021. She has experience in a range of roles with the police and in her last few years there, she worked on some of the country’s most high-profile cases. Now, she gets to work with police in her capacity as a Customer Success Manager.

We sat down with Brooke to find out how her experiences working with the police have translated into her current role at Auror and what she loves about being a Customer Success Manager.

Hey Brooke, tell us about yourself.

My name is Brooke and I am a Customer Success Manager at Auror. I have been a proud member of the Auror team since January 2021. I am also a first responder for St John Ambulance service in NZ.

What were you doing before Auror?

I worked as an Intelligence Analyst for the New Zealand Police.

Tell us about your journey with the police.

I first joined the NZ Police in my early 20s as a call taker in the Northern Communications Centre. I just saw the job advertised and thought why not! I went to Dispatching and then moved to Intel from there. I worked for District Intelligence in Auckland City providing officers real-time intelligence on crime trends, producing briefs and then went on to work on tactical teams and serious crimes for the last couple of years.

What were some of the highlights of your time there?

There were so many! Working in the Auckland District Command Centre was a blast. Working closely with the Senior Sergeants and having plenty of laughs along the way made working long weekends and Christmas days bearable. My biggest achievement was working on the homicide of Grace Millane, which was a year-long secondment for me. It was a privilege to work with an amazing team of investigators and be able to get justice for Grace. To be chosen to work on such a high profile, time-critical incident is something I will never forget and be forever grateful for.

What do you think were some of the biggest lessons you took away?

When I look back at my career in police, I realise I underestimated myself and the work I did at the time. Working on terrorist incidents, active shooters and serious crime was an expected part of the job. But you forget to look back and appreciate the commitment and sacrifices you made to get the job done, and that not just anyone can do it. It taught me to stop, look back, appreciate and celebrate my own successes better. Auror is fantastic at acknowledging and celebrating successes within the team so it makes it a lot easier to do.

Why did you decide to leave and what made you choose Auror?

After working on homicides and the Christchurch mosque shootings, I found it hard going back to ‘normal’ day-to-day work. After seven years in the police I found myself thinking, what next? And wondering if it was time for a change. I used the Auror platform for years while working for police. I watched the platform and the company grow and I saw the huge potential it still had. I was doing an Auror training session for the police at my station and I had a brainwave: why am I not doing this for Auror? I attended the Auror Supreme Crimefighter Awards, met the team and just knew it was the place for me. I applied for a job and I am so thankful they chose me to join the team.

What has it been like for you now that you’re on the “other side”? What are some of the highlights of your time at Auror so far?

It has been a big life change! Moving to Auror has been one of the best decisions I have made. The flexibility that Auror provides has been much better for my health and wellbeing. I couldn't ask for a better team to work with, everyone is so supportive and encouraging. I love building relationships with the customers and my co-workers. Team karaoke night has been the highlight by far!

What about challenges?

Coming from police, I had no background in tech, startups or customer experience. I knew this would be a challenge and decided to throw myself into working with our retail partners and learning all about the world of loss prevention and how we can make our customers thrive. The Auror team has full faith in me and continuously gives me tools and opportunities to learn and grow in my role.

How do you think your skills and experience with police have helped you in your role now?

I can tailor my police training for different workgroups in order for them to get the best out of the platform for their role. Knowing I have been in their shoes helps empower police to use the platform collaboratively with retailers for the best results.

I have been lucky enough to work on a couple of projects already with ex-colleagues from the NZ Police. Having those relationships already built and that level of trust helps us work together much more efficiently to help the community.

What is the most rewarding part of your job?

Seeing the customers interacting on the platform and working together to prevent crime in their stores. Being able to share new features with retailers and police and hearing how much the platform has helped make their jobs easier is amazing. Seeing our customers thrive is something that is so important to the Auror team and getting to share the stories and wins from our customers with the Auror team is the most rewarding part of my job.

Do you have any tips for others who are either wanting to work for Auror, or wanting a career change (or both!)?

I left my job with the police without having a job at Auror yet, so if you feel something is right for you, go with your gut, take the leap and make it happen. Work is a huge part of life, so we need to be doing what makes us happy.