Student Police Officer Ceremony

Last week, I had the pleasure of attending the Student Officer Confirmation Ceremony for Thames Valley Police at Drayton Park Golf Club.  As a Police Authority member, my role is to make the closing speech at the end of the day.  I am pleased that during these tough economic times, Thames Valley Police are still able to recruit new officers to the force and to see the student officers receiving their certificates from the Chief Constable is a very proud moment for their families.  It was a real privilege for me to be there and I enjoyed talking to many of the young officers as they shared their enthusiasm for their new careers.

In today's world, there are ever increasing demands made upon our police officers, and the Police Authority is keen to ensure that good training facilities are in place at the Sulhamstead Training Centre.   In last year's capital programme, the authority approved a new dojo at the site, believing that it is absolutely essential that our student officers are able to train to be fit for their role.   It is certainly worth a visit to go along to their yearly Open Day, as I have reported here previously. 

Of course, the landscape is changing for Police Authorities as they are due to be scrapped later this year when elections for the new Police and Crime Commissioners take place.  A demanding job and certainly important the right person is chosen - but will the public be sufficiently engaged with the election process?  Time will tell, but I shall always remember these occasions as very special.