Police Now News

26 Oct 2022

Over 400 neighbourhood police officers graduate from Police Now’s programme

Over 400 neighbourhood police officers graduate from Police Now’s programme: Humberside Police Now graduates

This week, over 400 officers graduated from Police Now’s two-year National Graduate Leadership Programme and became members of the national alumni network 

The diverse group of graduating officers – based across 18 forces in England and Wales – launched their policing careers in 2020, selected out of thousands of applicants to Police Now’s two-year programme for their commitment to public service and their belief in the enormous positive social change that outstanding community policing can deliver.  

They have spent the last two years working as neighbourhood police officers, utilising their problem-solving and leadership skills to transform communities, proactively tackle crime and anti-social behaviour, and build public confidence in policing. Joining the service at a challenging time with the global pandemic and several high-profile incidents which brought much public scrutiny, these officers have already demonstrated unwavering commitment to policing. 

Across the three graduation ceremonies held this week (25th and 26th October) to mark the milestone, the officers were addressed by Assistant Chief Constable Matt Ward and Toni Long, Director of People and Organisational Development, both of West Midlands Police, as well as Superintendent Mark Runacres of Avon & Somerset Police and Police Now’s CEO, Kurtis Christoforides.

Addressing the national cohort, Assistant Chief Constable Matt Ward, said: “It’s a genuine pleasure and privilege to congratulate you all on your Police Now graduation today.

“You reflect the best of UK policing. Be proud of where you are and what you’ve achieved. Continue to be the leaders that you’ve already demonstrated you are. Treat everyone fairly, act with integrity and be prepared to stand up and always do the right thing.

“Never forget why you joined policing and the pride you felt when you put on your uniform on day one. Never forget the pride you rightly feel today as you graduate as substantive officers. I will watch your careers with excitement, pride and interest over the coming years, congratulations.”

Two awards were presented at the ceremonies by Dr Michelle Rogerson on behalf of Police Now’s academic partner, the University of Huddersfield:

  • Police Constable Danielle Quentin, West Midlands Police: Best Impact Assignment
  • Police Constable Lauren Schofield, West Midlands Police: Dean’s Prize for Excellent Academic Achievement

In addition, several Alumni Impact Awards were presented to stand-out participants, nominated by their colleagues for outstanding contributions to policing.

These officers formed the sixth intake on Police Now’s National Graduate Leadership Programme, and are now substantive police constables across the country. Read more about the impact Police Now participants are having in their local communities in the latest Impact Report.

Contact Information

Police Now News
Police Now
pr@policenow.org.uk

Notes to editors

Notes to editors: 

Of those recruited to the programme in 2020, 54% identified as women and 17% identified as coming from a Black, Asian or minority ethnic background (45% of whom identify as women), with 20 unique languages spoken across the cohort.  

The 18 forces that Police Now partnered with for this cohort (cohort six) of the National Graduate Leadership Programme:  

  • Avon and Somerset Police 
  • Bedfordshire Police
  • Cambridgeshire Constabulary
  • Essex Police
  • Greater Manchester Police 
  • Hertfordshire Constabulary 
  • Humberside Police
  • Kent Police
  • Lancashire Constabulary 
  • Metropolitan Police Service 
  • North Yorkshire Police
  • Northumbria Police
  • South Yorkshire Police
  • Staffordshire Police
  • Surrey Police
  • Sussex Police 
  • West Mercia Police 
  • West Midlands Police 

Read more about the impact that this cohort of officers has made whilst on Police Now’s programme: 

About Police Now:

Police Now recruits, trains and develops graduates to become neighbourhood police officers or detective constables, via our National Graduate Leadership Programme and National Detective Programme.

Approved by the College of Policing, the two-year programmes are the length of an officer’s probation period. All police officers who join the police service via Police Now are warranted members of one of our partner police forces, with the full legal powers and responsibilities of the office of constable from the start of their programme journey.  

Police Now was founded in 2014 and is an independent, non-profit organisation that works in partnership with police forces to deliver our programmes. Police Now has partnered with 36 police forces across England and Wales and is funded by participating police forces and the Home Office. As a registered charity, we aim to bring improvements to society and make a positive difference to communities affected by crime through achieving our mission.

Police Now’s mission is to transform communities, reduce crime and anti-social behaviour, and increase the public’s confidence in the police service by recruiting, developing and inspiring outstanding and diverse individuals to be leaders in society and on the policing frontline. 

Police Now also run the Frontline Leadership Programme, a one-year development programme which supports talented police constables to develop as strong, inclusive leaders and prepares them for promotion to sergeant rank. Over 100 Frontline Leadership Programme officers have been promoted since it launched in 2021.