Fifteen new apprentice police officers have been welcomed to the Herts force.

They were formally welcomed to Hertfordshire Constabulary by Deputy Chief Constable Bill Jephson at their passing out parade in Welwyn Garden City earlier this month.

The cohort of eight men and seven women includes an ex-warehouse operative, two sales assistants, a former accountant, customer assistant, delivery driver, and an ex-nursery nurse.

The new officers have started their policing careers via the Police Constable Degree Apprenticeship (PCDA) route.

The PCDA is a three-year, work-based practical course which enables apprentices to join as a police officer and achieve a BSc (Hons) degree in Professional Policing Practice.

 

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Mr Jephson presented them with framed certificates, marking the end of their initial training, with other senior officers and trainers also in attendance.

“It is a pleasure to be with you to celebrate your achievements and welcome you to our very special team,” said Mr Jephson.

“You have all been successful in graduating from your initial stage of training and you are some of the first to join us on the PCDA programme.

“You have absorbed an incredible amount of information and you will now put that knowledge into practice, learning new skills and building experience working on the streets in our communities.

"This job will inspire you, stretch you, amaze you, test you, satisfy you and might even delight you at times. There will not be a day when you don’t have an opportunity to make a difference to someone else’s life. To restore order to their chaos or to provide some humanity and compassion to a human tragedy.

“Policing is about service and people, putting the public first, offering a local, personalised and friendly approach to all of those within our community and working together to prevent crime and harm.

"Highly visible policing is a key part of what we try to achieve within Hertfordshire and we now have more officers than ever before.”

Family and friends of the students also attended to celebrate the end of their initial training at police headquarters in WGC on Tuesday, May 9.

The student officers now start their first postings with three based in Hatfield; two in St Albans; two in Hemel Hempstead; two in Potters Bar & South Mimms; one in Royston; one in Borehamwood; one in Watford; one in Letchworth; one in Hoddesdon; and one in Hitchin.

 

                                                                                                                                

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