A teenager from Wellington is thanking an iwi and police crime prevention strategy, saying it's helping him to change his life and pursue his passion for farming.
The joint initiative, Turning of the Tide, aims to cut Maori prosecution rates by 25% by 2018 with the help of iwi.
It provides guidelines to help officers to interact differently with Maori, as well as draw on help from tribal organisations.
An iwi group may be called in to help find out why an individual is trouble with the law and offer ways to help put their life back on track.
Crewz Stone-Nepia has been referred by police to the Lower Hutt Maori Trust Board office of Te Runanganui o Taranaki Whanui ki Te Upoko o Te Ika a Maui and is now on a month-long farming apprenticeship in Whanganui.
Although happy to be given the opportunity, the 17-year-old says it is "gutting" he has been given a privilege after doing something bad - stealing a car because he and his friends were bored.
