New recruits welcomed to force

Derbyshire Constabulary is delighted to welcome the latest group of student police officers.
Eighteen new recruits attended our training school in Ripley on 1 March on day one of a 20-week intensive training course. Since then, it's been a mixture of practical and theoretical training, delivered by our dedicated training teams.
There have been inputs from subject matter experts from across the Constabulary, all to prepare the students for the challenges they'll face, serving and protecting the communities of Derbyshire.
Two worked for us previously, in our operations room and CCTV unit, but the rest have very different backgrounds, from working in schools, finance, retail, sales, delivering mail, straight from university and looking after people's pets in kennels.
Core trainer Constable Jane Clemson-Blythe said: "It has been a challenging course, with COVID-19 restrictions still in place, and very few of them previously from the policing family. However, I have been struck by their enthusiasm and commitment to learn.
"I am extremely proud to have been their trainer and they have made my job a pleasurable one over the last 20 weeks. I wish them all, every success in their careers."
The officers are the force's first full Degree Holder Entry Programme to complete their initial training, pioneering another route by which people can join Derbyshire Constabulary. It's for people who already have at least a bachelor's degree (or equivalent level 6 qualification) or are in the final year of study, and would like to be trained to be a police officer.
Temporary Assistant Chief Constable Michelle Shooter and Derbyshire's Police and Crime Commissioner Angelique Foster met up with the students, and their trainers, in their final week.
Welcoming the new officers, Mrs Foster said: "These officers are pioneering a new way to join Derbyshire Constabulary and I hope that many more will follow in their footsteps as I am committed to putting more police on Derbyshire's streets.
"They have taken the brave decision to serve the public and on behalf of Derbyshire's residents I would like to thank them and wish them every success in their career."