A woman is alone on a busy city street, dressed in a nightgown and in distress.

She's approached a number of people, but no one stops to talk to her. You think to yourself ‘something isn't right here', but do you keep on walking or stop to check if she is okay?

Would you stop to help this woman or just keep walking? Photo: NZ Police

This is a scene which plays out in the latest video released by New Zealand Police as part of their Do You Care Enough to be a Cop? series.

This year police want to recruit 400 new officers and this latest recruitment campaign is aimed at people aged 18- 29, and in particular Maori, Pasifika, Chinese, Indian, Latin American, African and Middle Eastern. Police also want to encourage more women to consider joining the force.

In the new video released this week, the distressed woman is ignored by several people but after a period of time a woman crosses the street to come to her aid.

Mental Health Team Inspector Sue Douglas says on average police answer more than 500 mental health-related calls a week.

'Distressed people need someone who's going to be calm and understanding of their needs, even under the most stressful conditions,” says Sue.

'While police is not the lead agency on mental health, they are often the first responders to these situations. The calm, professional and empathetic way our staff respond to these challenging situations clearly makes a big difference to vulnerable people who are often stressed and frightened.”

The number of calls involving someone who is mentally distressed is increasing every year and mental health training is now an integral part of training for all new recruits.

But it's not about making police staff mental health experts, adds Sue.

'Instead it focusses on staff recognising when a person is experiencing mental distress, how we respond to the needs of that person and ensuring they get the help they need from the appropriate people, such as mental health services.”

NZ Police Brand & Engagement national manager James Whitaker they don't want to highlight those who didn't come to the woman's aid as there can be many good reasons why someone didn't see her or didn't stop.

'The video should promote discussion about what the right thing to do is though,” he says.

'Hopefully, it'll also make some people consider a future with police if their values align with what we stand for. We want people who care enough to go out of their way to make a difference.”

For more information visit: www.newcops.co.nz