Ms Dowie is the daughter of two former police officers, Ann and Alan Dowie, and a solicitor by profession.
''Law and order is in my blood. I was raised with a strong ethic of `you reap what you sow','' she told Parliament.
The consequence of crime and the reality of it was in the forefront of her upbringing, she said.
Her mother's first husband, Constable Donald Stokes, was murdered at age 23 in the line of duty at Dunedin in 1966.
''I was raised with his photos on the walls, yet the tragic end of his life has been etched into my mind from a young age.''
On November 13, 1990, death on the job was again a reality, when Mr Dowie received a call from police headquarters to say one of his best friends, Sergeant Stewart Guthrie, had been shot dead at Aramoana.
''I remember him methodically and soberly getting dressed in his uniform and walking out the door.
The sum of the following 22 hours, with helicopters flying across the airspace and the general unknown, was not lost on anyone in Dunedin.
''It was obviously more pronounced for those with loved ones who were murdered or connected in some way.''
The sacrifice of brave men and women who put themselves on the front line to defend liberties and the way of life held dear in New Zealand was never far from her thoughts, Ms Dowie said.
She took seriously the country's security and the personal security of New Zealanders and promised to uphold it, making sure the police and other agencies had the resourcing and tools required to mitigate threats and reduce crime.
At the same time, she wanted to ensure equal access to justice and the rule of law. New Zealand as a safe and fair community was something to always be vigilant about.
