A former sports coach, insurance broker and teaching assistant are among Cambridgeshire’s first 20 police recruits to graduate from the force’s new degree-holder entry programme (DHEP).
The 11 women and nine men were welcomed in a ceremony at a blustery Force HQ in Huntingdon on March 13.
They are the first to pass out under the DHEP programme which was introduced under the Policing Education Qualifications Framework (PEQF).
Described as the biggest change in policing for a generation, PEQF aims to support the development of policing as a profession, recognising and raising educational standards.
The DHEP is a two-year programme working towards a graduate diploma in Professional Policing Practice.
The students were welcomed to the force by Chief Constable Nick Dean, Deputy Chief Constable Jane Gyford and Deputy Police and Crime Commissioner John Peach.
Addressing the new recruits, Mr Dean said: “You must have the confidence to use your powers, whether they be stop and search, arrest, questioning or interviewing, now is the time they will become a reality.
“The public will rightly expect you to intervene, not to walk away, but to take control and be positive. Your job is to keep people safe.”
He added: “Being a police officer is not just about holding a warrant card, it’s a vocation. Holding that appointment gives you the authority to use your policing powers, however, the legitimacy of their use you should never take for granted.
“Our role is to build trust and confidence within our communities and that we are here to work alongside them in maintaining public peace and preventing and detecting crime.”
The force remains on track to hit its targets under the national 20,000 uplift by the end of next month and the number of police officers in Cambridgeshire is at an all-time high of just over 1700.
It is still open for police officer applications, with several routes available including the DHEP, its degree apprenticeship and the well-established Initial Police Learning and Development Programme (IPLDP+).
For more information, visit https://www.cambs.police.uk/police-forces/cambridgeshire-constabulary/areas/careers/careers/police-officers/the-role-of-a-police-officer/
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