THAMES Valley Police gained 15 new detective constables on Monday, June 27.
After having completed their training, the new officers have officially become part of the force through the National Detective Programme, provided by Police Now.
In March, 170 members joined the programme, where they were given essential skills such as crime scene management, making arrests, and first aid over a 14-week course.
They were also given field training shifts, including shifts in Thames Valley police’s Response and Criminal Investigation Departments.
The new officers will continue for a further two years in the program with support from coaches and colleagues on the force as they become a part of the team.
They will also work toward graduate diplomas in Professional Policing Practice, completed in partnership with the University of Huddersfield.
Among the new officers at TVP is Sarah Church, who was presented with the Excellence in Teamwork and Leadership award at the academy’s closing ceremony.
Trainee Detective Constable Church said: “The last 14 weeks of Police Now’s academy has really flown by.
“The learning curve has been steep but our trainers have taught us so much.
“It’s been a unique opportunity to meet police officers from across the country and to learn from some very experienced investigators.”
Prior to joining the academy, trainee Detective Constable Church spent 13 years in the army, followed by two years at UK Research and Innovation.
She said: “For me, the two short attachments on the force’s Response team and in the Criminal Investigation Department were a highlight.
“I’m now very much looking forward to taking all the skills I’ve learned with Police Now and putting them into practice serving the public.”
Acting Detective Sergeant Neil Callaway, one of the experienced officers who trained the new detectives, said: “It has been a privilege and a pleasure to be involved with training the Thames Valley Police participants at Police Now’s academy this year.
“They are, without exception, a hard-working, enthusiastic and amiable group of aspiring detectives who have come through the academy with flying colours.
“Their progress over these weeks has genuinely impressed me, and I am confident that as they continue to develop their policing skills they will become a real asset to the force and the public they serve.”
The National Detective Programme launched in 2019, seeking to help police services in the recruitment and training of detectives.
It has since worked with 33 forces in England and Wales.
For more information about the Police Now programme, visit: www.policenow.org.uk
