New Plymouth District councillor and former frontline police officer John Woodward has released a 400-page autobiography titled Risking It All, a project he says has been seven years in the making.
Woodward served 14 years on the front line of the New Zealand Police before moving into business and, more recently, local politics as a district-wide councillor at NPDC.
He describes the book as a story of resilience, service and the realities of policing in Aotearoa. Risking It All traces his journey through roles as a frontline constable and supervisor, Armed Offenders Squad member, Diplomatic Protection officer, medic, trainer and bravery award recipient.
The book promises an unfiltered look at life in uniform, taking readers inside armed stand-offs, dangerous pursuits, high-profile incidents and international events, as well as the quieter but often more haunting moments of grief, loss and trauma that come with policing.
He describes the book as a story of resilience, service and the realities of policing in Aotearoa. Risking It All traces his journey through roles as a frontline constable and supervisor, Armed Offenders Squad member, Diplomatic Protection officer, medic, trainer and bravery award recipient.
The book promises an unfiltered look at life in uniform, taking readers inside armed stand-offs, dangerous pursuits, high-profile incidents and international events, as well as the quieter but often more haunting moments of grief, loss and trauma that come with policing.
Alongside the darker material, Woodward also leans into the absurd and the human, including the day a one-legged man on a quad bike towed a police car out of the surf. It’s a story he says captures the kind of dark humour that often helps officers get through.
A central thread in Risking It All is Woodward’s decision to speak up about bullying, intimidation and corruption inside the organisation. The book explores what happens when you challenge a “powerful few” and refuse to stay silent about behaviour you believe is wrong, along with the personal and professional consequences that can follow when you try to push back against a system.
That theme lands at a sensitive moment for policing in New Zealand, with the Independent Police Conduct Authority (IPCA) having recently released a 135-page report into how senior police handled serious sexual misconduct allegations against former Deputy Police Commissioner Jevon McSkimming.
A central thread in Risking It All is Woodward’s decision to speak up about bullying, intimidation and corruption inside the organisation. The book explores what happens when you challenge a “powerful few” and refuse to stay silent about behaviour you believe is wrong, along with the personal and professional consequences that can follow when you try to push back against a system.
That theme lands at a sensitive moment for policing in New Zealand, with the Independent Police Conduct Authority (IPCA) having recently released a 135-page report into how senior police handled serious sexual misconduct allegations against former Deputy Police Commissioner Jevon McSkimming.
That report found “significant failings” and serious misconduct at the highest levels of the organisation. It criticised the way former commissioner Andrew Coster dealt with information about McSkimming’s conduct and the subsequent investigation.
McSkimming, who had been one of the most senior officers in the country, has separately pleaded guilty to multiple charges of possessing objectionable publications on his work devices including child sexual exploitation and bestiality material.
The government has responded to the IPCA’s findings by announcing the creation of an independent Inspector-General of Police to strengthen oversight and help restore public trust.
Those developments follow years of concern about bullying and toxic pockets of culture within the police. A 2021 IPCA report and staff survey found that around one in four police staff had experienced bullying, abuse or harassment, and highlighted issues such as sexism, cronyism and “boys’ club” behaviour within parts of the organisation.
Against that backdrop, Woodward’s decision to publicly recount his own experiences of standing up to bullying and calling out misconduct gives Risking It All a wider national context. It is not just a collection of “better work stories,” but an insider account that arrives at a time when the integrity and internal culture of New Zealand Police are under intense scrutiny.
McSkimming, who had been one of the most senior officers in the country, has separately pleaded guilty to multiple charges of possessing objectionable publications on his work devices including child sexual exploitation and bestiality material.
The government has responded to the IPCA’s findings by announcing the creation of an independent Inspector-General of Police to strengthen oversight and help restore public trust.
Those developments follow years of concern about bullying and toxic pockets of culture within the police. A 2021 IPCA report and staff survey found that around one in four police staff had experienced bullying, abuse or harassment, and highlighted issues such as sexism, cronyism and “boys’ club” behaviour within parts of the organisation.
Against that backdrop, Woodward’s decision to publicly recount his own experiences of standing up to bullying and calling out misconduct gives Risking It All a wider national context. It is not just a collection of “better work stories,” but an insider account that arrives at a time when the integrity and internal culture of New Zealand Police are under intense scrutiny.
