New recruits sworn in at headquarters

The latest recruits to Leicestershire Police have been sworn in at a special ceremony at headquarters.

A cohort of 34 officers took their oaths in front of family and friends having already undergone several weeks of training as part of the Initial Police Learning and Development Programme (IPLDP).

The ceremony was overseen by magistrate Martin Pantling, Deputy Chairman of the Leicestershire and Rutland Bench, alongside Chief Constable Simon Cole and Police and Crime Commissioner, Lord Willy Bach.

Among the student officers receiving their warrant cards was 23-year-old Emma Goddard.

She has a First Class Degree in Criminal Investigation and Policing Management from De Montfort University and said: “Policing is always something I wanted after my degree, especially in regards to investigations as I found it interesting problem solving cases at university.”

Emma also spent a year working as a receptionist in the A&E department at Leicester Royal Infirmary.

She added: “Seeing how officers interacted with the vulnerable people in hospital reinforced my plans to join the force. I’m keen to use different ways of communicating and I know that there isn’t a one size fits all approach.”

In addition to this, Emma also signed up to be a special officer during her final year at university.

“It gave me a bit of a head start and a flavour of that to expect. I’d recommend anyone wanting to join the police does this first,” she added.

Pareece Farrell-Hope, 25, brings with her a wealth of experience in dealing with youth offenders from her previous job as a prison officer. Although already a varied and interesting role, she felt she wanted to build on her existing knowledge to deal with youth offenders from a different perspective.

Pareece hopes to build confidence and positive relationships in those that may have a low perception of the police force.

She said: “The force is a great diverse team of different heritages and backgrounds and I look forward to presenting this positively to the youth I work with.”

After years working on a mental health ward as well as being a special constable, Travis Carlisle is now exactly where he wants to be – training to be a police officer.

He said his work in health care increased his skills in empathy and listening and he hoped to put them to good use in his new role.

Chief Constable Simon Cole said the recruits had done “remarkably well” to get where they were and said that they should act with “integrity” at all times.

He added that it was great to see such a “diverse group of people joining the force.”

Lord Willy Bach, Police and Crime Commissioner for Leicestershire said he was proud to see so many new faces representing all areas of the community.

He said: “When I was elected I made it clear that I wanted more officers on the streets of Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland.

“Our new recruits are helping me to fulfil that promise and from their point of view they are joining one of the best police forces in the country, which will offer them a lifetime of opportunity.”

If you are interested in a career with us visit www.leics.police.uk/MakeADifference