Hertfordshire welcomes largest cohort of newly trained police officers in recent years

Over 30 newly trained police officers, the largest cohort in recent years, have been welcomed to Hertfordshire Constabulary.

Family and friends of the 18 women and 17 men, helped celebrate the completion of their initial training at police headquarters in Welwyn Garden City, earlier this month.

Chief Constable Charlie Hall presented them with framed certificates to mark their achievement.

He told them: “I take a great deal of pride in seeing so many of you here and this is the largest graduation of officers that I can remember.

“You’re at the cusp of applying your training delivering policing services across Hertfordshire.

“Congratulations on what you have achieved, policing is a great career, this is the end of your intensive classroom-based training, but you will never stop learning as you serve the public in different situations.”

Of those graduated, 31 have started their careers via the Initial Police Learning and Development Programme - the traditional entry route to train to be a police officer over two years - while four officers are training to be detectives on the Accelerated Detective Constable Programme - a year of intensive and practical training, followed by three placements, while training to become a detective.

David Lloyd, Police and Crime Commissioner for Hertfordshire, said: “I congratulate and welcome these new officers to the Constabulary where they will make a real difference to the lives and safety to those who live and work in Hertfordshire.

“They are part of the record number of officers we already have serving in the county after residents told me they wanted to see more frontline officers out on patrol.”

The student officers now start their first postings with six based in Welwyn and Hatfield, five in St Albans, four in Cheshunt, four in Stevenage, three in Watford, two in Hemel Hempstead, two in North Herts, two in Three Rivers, one in Hitchin, one in Rickmansworth; one in South Mimms, one in Borehamwood, one in Buntingford, one in Hertsmere and one in Bishop’s Stortford.

The force is currently taking applications for different police officer training courses. Visit the Herts police career website for information and to find out how to apply.