Ten new trainee detective constables land in Gwent Police today (Monday 26th June), having just completed Police Now’s National Detective Programme academy.  

The 13-week residential academy began in March when almost 230 new officers – who all join their respective forces across England and Wales today – began their intensive training together. They have developed the core policing skills and knowledge required for complex investigative work, in a mix of practical and classroom-based sessions led by experienced sergeants seconded from Police Now’s partner forces. They have also completed field training shifts in their force Response teams and within Criminal Investigation Departments and have sat the challenging National Investigators’ Exam (NIE). Police Now officers sit the NIE at the academy and consistently achieve a higher-than-average first-time pass rate. At this year’s detective academy, there was an average first-time pass rate of 75% compared to the national average of 59%.  

They now continue Police Now’s two-year training and development programme in force, where they will play an integral part in solving cases and supporting victims of crime across Gwent. Supported by their experienced colleagues and Police Now Performance and Development Coaches, they will be Professionalising Investigations Programme Level 2 (PIP2) certified by the end of the two-year programme.   

Assistant Chief Constable Sharn Basra of Bedfordshire Police delivered a keynote address to the new officers at the academy closing ceremony (15th – 16th June), in his last ever policing appearance before officially retiring that week. He said: “I look over the room, as I come to the end of my career, and I see the future of policing. You will change policing and you will improve policing for the better. I have no doubt that during your academy training you have worked hard, you have been professional and you have had fun. Continue to do this throughout the next stages of your training and the rest of your policing careers. Policing is tough, you will have some bad days, you will see things that other people won’t see and you will experience things that other people shouldn’t have to experience. But you will change people’s lives and you will save people’s lives. The good days will always overtake the bad, as you support those that need you the most and secure justice for victims.”  

Trainee Detective Constable Emily Hurn, who joins Gwent Police today via the programme, said: “Police Now’s missions and values focus on tackling crime, transforming communities and building better relationships between the public and police. These values resonate with mine, so this training academy was the perfect option for me to pursue my dream career of becoming a detective. The training has been fast paced intentionally, to set you up for life in the Criminal Investigation Department. It has been extremely enjoyable and rewarding and has made me feel prepared to land in force, as the assessments are set out as real-life investigations. Over 13 weeks I have learnt how to interview for serious complex crimes, how to control and manage crime scenes and how to build a complex case file to send to the Crown Prosecution Service – to name just a few. I have also successfully passed my National Investigators’ Exam during this time. I can’t wait to put all the skills I have learned into practice when I land in Gwent, and get stuck into investigations and working with the community.”  

Police Now is a Times Top 100 Graduate Employer and has partnered with a total of 36 forces to recruit and train over 2,680 police officers and detectives nationally.  

Police Now typically attracts those who had not previously considered a career in policing and seeks to empower officers to challenge cultures, build public confidence in policing and support the communities that need them the most. Of those that started on the National Detective Programme this year, 58% had never considered a career in policing before hearing about Police Now and 70% are career changers.