Eleven new police constables land in Greater Manchester Police today (Monday 18^th September), where they will begin working to transform communities, reduce crime and anti-social behaviour, and build public confidence in the police service as neighbourhood police officers.  

The new officers have completed seven weeks of training at Police Now’s National Graduate Leadership Programme academy, developing the essential policing knowledge and skills to serve their communities.

They now officially land in force where they will continue Police Now’s two-year programme, working to support victims and tackle crime across Greater Manchester. They will also work towards their Graduate Diploma in Professional Policing Practice, in partnership with Liverpool John Moores University. 

Addressing the officers on the final day of Police Now’s national academy, Chief Constable Jason Hogg of Thames Valley Police said: “Policing is a fulfilling, challenging, interesting and diverse career. As a neighbourhood police officer, you will deal with a wide variety of issues at all levels of society and support vulnerable people within your communities who need you the most. You will uphold the law with honesty, integrity and compassion at all times and you will work extremely hard to support the public you serve.

“You are joining policing at a particularly challenging time, when public trust and confidence is lower than it has been for many years. Remember that every interaction you have with the public, however small, is a chance to change that. You are highly successful individuals who want to make a difference by serving others. Policing needs people just like you, who act and think differently and are prepared to challenge the status quo.

“Congratulations on everything you have achieved so far, as you come to the end of your academy training and prepare to arrive in your forces across the country. Continue to work hard and thank you in advance for everything you will do to fight crime and keep our communities safe.”

Police Constable Rachel Harris, who has just completed the academy and lands in Greater Manchester Police today via the programme, said: “Police Now gives you the qualities to become a leader within the police and to use your skills to strive for change in your community, this is what I’m most looking forward to when going into force. I’ll be based in Salford and cannot wait to get started in my next phase of the programme.

“There is a great level of support and room for independence at the academy, so the balance is has been great. I know I’ll be keeping in touch with my academy trainer, Detective Sergeant Kennedy for a long time, I can’t thank him enough for his support during the academy. I’ve already built strong relationships with the people not only in my force but also with officers from other forces nationally. I hope to see them all thrive, just like I hope to myself.”

Police Constable Peter Barnes, who has also joins the force today, said: “I have been so passionate about building community relationships and bringing people together throughout my life. When I saw Police Now’s neighbourhood policing programme, I knew it was the right path for me. 

“I loved the idea of training at academy. It has been intense, fast-paced, and with long days. It has been exhausting at times, but it’s been an exhilarating journey. One of the highlights of academy has been the social aspect. The bonds I have made with my Greater Manchester Police colleagues and other officers are bonds which will last a lifetime. GMP’s academy trainer, Detective Sergeant Aidan Kennedy, is the most personable and supportive person, and he has been such an incredible link between us and GMP.

“Joining GMP is such an exciting opportunity. It’s a large force which is on an incredible trajectory at the moment. I believe it’s a great time to join GMP. I’m ready to jump in head-first, make a difference and build ties within my community.”

Police Now’s programme recruits, trains and develops outstanding and diverse graduates with a commitment to exceptional community policing and public service. These new officers are among 113 graduates trained at this year’s National Graduate Leadership Programme academy and among over 2,750 officers recruited nationally by Police Now across England and Wales.

Police Now is committed to building a diverse police service that is representative of the communities it serves and consistently recruits more female officers and more officers from Black, Asian and minority ethnic backgrounds than the national average. Of those on this cohort of the National Graduate Leadership Programme, 51% identify as female, 24% are from a Black, Asian or minority ethnic background, 19% identify as LGBT+ and there are 22 languages spoken across the cohort.

Applications for the next intake on Police Now’s National Graduate Leadership Programme are currently open.