The seventh cohort of Police Now participants on the National Graduate Leadership Programme are due to start their Academy training next week, joining the 1,830 other police officers that have already been recruited and trained by Police Now across 33 forces in the UK over the last six years.

During the high intensity training Academy, they will learn, practise, and develop their knowledge and skills to be part of the policing frontline before they join their respective forces for the remainder of the two-year programme and beyond.

As this year’s Academy officially begins, we asked some of last year’s recruits to reflect on their time at the Academy and the role one year on.

Here is what Police Constable Dulcie Andrews from South Yorkshire Police had to say:

“My favourite thing about Academy was putting theory into practice. At times it would be tough trying to understand the copious amounts of legislation we were studying, but when we practised role play scenarios with our colleagues, it all came together.

The most challenging aspect of the Academy [last year] was how COVID-19 impacted our ability to interact with each other. Our Syndicate Leads and all staff at Police Now went above and beyond throughout our training to ensure that we were still best prepared for assessments and life after academy, despite the restrictions we faced.

[Since graduating from the 2020 Academy] I have been lucky to be a part of so many varied jobs as a Neighbourhood Officer and have been responsible for such a diverse workload.
I have developed intelligence and applied for S23 Misuse of Drugs Act warrants from the Magistrates’ Court and gone on to execute these warrants at the addresses. I have dealt with cannabis cultivations at addresses and gone on to process the suspects through custody, interview, and the process of either bail or Release Under Investigation (RUI). I have dealt with victims of Modern Slavery. I have attended many neighbour disputes and put support and provisions in place to prevent further offences or to restore the relationship between them. I have had days of engagement with pop-in police stations and made us more approachable to the public to listen or help in any way we can.
No working day is the same and that is what I love most about the role.”