ELEVEN of the region's 19 new police officers will be deployed on the streets of the Hunter Valley and Lake Macquarie police districts after the most recent class of recruits was inducted into the force as probationary constables on Friday, August 16.
The 110 recruits, most of whom will be deployed in the Greater Sydney area, will begin their first year of on-the-job training before they eventually reach the rank of constable.
Lake Macquarie Police District has been assigned six of the Northern Region's cohort, and five more will be deployed in the Hunter Valley. Two others will be in the Brisbane Water Police District, headquartered on the Central Coast, four in Coffs-Clarence, and two others in the Tweed-Byron area.
NSW Police Commissioner Karen Webb said the probationary officers would play "an integral role in serving their local communities and in keeping NSW safe".
Yasmin Catley, the state's police minister, congratulated the recruits and praised their "steadfast commitment to serve and protect our community".
"A career in policing is like no other, and I wish you all a long and rich career with the NSW Police Force," she said.
The Hunter's new police officers will complete 12 months of on-the-job training and study by distance education with Charles Sturt University. They officially graduate with an Associate Degree in Policing Practice after passing all academic and operation standards.
While many recruits are Australian-born, this year's graduating cohort is also made up of students from diverse backgrounds. One hundred and one were born in Australia, and nine were born overseas. Their countries of origin include New Zealand, Iraq, Kuwait, England, and Fiji. Seven recruits were of Indigenous heritage.
The recruits' induction included an attestation parade before Governor Margaret Beazley and other dignitaries on Friday.
