My Account
Prevention of crime, accidents and loss of life is a strong motivation behind the police work Senior Constable Rob Cato sees himself doing in his new role in Mangawhai.
Rob shifted north last month to fill the vacancy left by long-serving officer Graham Gough, who retired at the end of last year. He will be working alongside Constable Dale Wewege.
“I make no apology for taking a hard stand on drink driving, speed and seat belts,” he says. “Too often it will be the innocent who, through no fault of their own, end up the victims. NZ Police want to reduce the number of fatalities on our roads and that’s my goal, too.”
Rob joined the police force in 2003 after starting his working life as a builder.
“I’d always wanted to be a cop, but lacked a bit of confidence when I left school. It was my wife Carmen who encouraged me to have a go.”
Since graduating, he has worked with an emergency response team based in Wiri, and on the frontline in Otahuhu and Manurewa. He has also worked with the road police, the tactical crime unit and custody units, and rose to the rank of sergeant.
“Night shift is my favourite shift,” he says. “You drive around and learn how to spot people or cars that are out of place.
“While other people are at home asleep, I know it’s my job to keep them safe.
“And that goes for keeping people safe on the roads as well. Residents and visitors need to know that I will be doing checkpoints and if you drink and drive, you will get caught.”
Rob first became acquainted with Mangawhai when his mother and father in-law, Roy and Vena Phillips, bought a bach in the area 10 years ago.
“Burnout is not uncommon amongst frontline officers, and this job came up when I was thinking about where I wanted to go in my career.
“I’d always been keen on the idea of rural policing, so I applied”
Rob and Carmen have two children – Mollie, aged 11, and Ethan, 8, who attend Mangawhai Beach School.
When not on duty, Rob likes hunting and family fishing trips, and is looking forward to learning to surf with his daughter. The family has also joined the Causeway Church.
