Twelve new police constables land in Thames Valley 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 Thames Valley. 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 Andreea Tudose who has just completed the academy and lands in Thames Valley Police today via the programme, said: “The Police Now academy has been an incredible and challenging experience. I have always dreamt of joining the police, but I just didn’t find the right moment to do it until I found Police Now’s National Graduate Leadership Programme and saw that their values align with mine. I have always genuinely loved helping people and this is my opportunity to do this.

“This programme challenges you to be the best you can be. I also made invaluable friendships with my other colleagues from TVP, and we helped each other during our training as much as we could.

“I joined the academy and Thames Valley Police after 10 years in recruitment, 5 of them in the UK, and a degree in Business Management. I am from Romania and I feel really proud to be part of the British police and to be able to educate, represent and help my community and other communities as well. I look forward to making a positive difference and doing something so important that it changes lives. 

“I am happy to see that people from different backgrounds and ethnicities can bring their experience into policing. Aged in my early 40’s, I questioned if this was the right move for me, but after the 7 weeks of training with Police Now, I honestly feel that policing is the right route for me.

“Some people say that if you work hard, your dreams will come true. Others say that you need to work smarter not harder. I say it’s a combination of both, as long as you really want it.

“I highly recommend this programme to anyone who wants to join policing.”

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.