Forty-two new police constables land in the Metropolitan Police Service today (Monday 7^th November), where they will work 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 just completed Police Now’s National Graduate Leadership Programme academy, where they were equipped with the core knowledge and skills required of a police constable. The seven-week residential academy trained 148 new police constables, who all land in their respective forces across the country today and are part of over 2,450 officers who have been recruited nationally by Police Now to date.  

The officers were selected out of thousands of applicants to Police Now’s programme, which recruits, trains and develops outstanding and diverse graduates with a commitment to public service and a belief in the enormous positive social change that exceptional community policing can deliver. 

The officers will now continue to develop their leadership and problem-solving skills in force for the remainder of the two-year programme and beyond. They will also work towards their Graduate Diploma in Professional Policing Practice, in partnership with Liverpool John Moores University.  

Police Constable Paulina Filipska, who has just completed the academy and joins the Metropolitan Police Service today via the programme, said: “Police Now’s academy has without a doubt been one of the greatest experiences of my life. Yes it’s challenging, but the in-depth knowledge and skills you learn along the way are invaluable. The programme has made me feel even more passionate about policing, and the support from the Police Now staff over the past seven weeks has been phenomenal. I look forward to applying all the new skills I’ve learnt and contribute to having a positive impact on the communities of London.” 

Police Constable Paige Zima, recent winner of Channel 4’s ‘SAS: Who Dares Wins’, has been sharing her full academy experience here. She said: “As I officially land in the Metropolitan Police Service and begin my career as a neighbourhood police officer, I think about all the people I am going to help and the positive impact I am going to make in my community…We need strong, positive role models in the police force; people who are not afraid to drive long-lasting change and embed themselves in communities as role models. It’s going to be hard work, but I have never been one to back down from a challenge.” 

The new officers were trained at the academy by experienced officers seconded from Police Now’s partner forces, including Inspector Craig Hands, Police Sergeants Claire Napper, Ronnie Henderson and John Hounsell, and Acting Police Sergeants Ian Croxford and Jodie Jackson.

Applications for Police Now’s National Graduate Leadership Programme are currently open. To read more about the impact that Police Now officers are making nationally, please see their latest Impact Report here.