The Hunter will benefit from the largest class to graduate from the Goulburn Police Academy in more than a decade.
At least 16 Probationary Constables are destined for the region in an important step to rebuild essential services in the state, including addressing the recruitment and retention crisis of frontline workers.
The recruits now embark on 12 months of on-the-job training from Monday 9 December.
They’ll undertake general duties while gaining valuable experience alongside their seasoned colleagues.
Hunter Valley Police District (PD) is set to welcome six rookies, with Port Stephens-Hunter PD snaring four, and Newcastle City PD and Lake Macquarie PD three each.
“The graduation of Class 364, the biggest in 10 years, is a significant milestone in rebuilding our organisation and reflects the hard work of everyone involved,” NSW Police Commissioner Karen Webb APM said.
“With application numbers on the rise, I look forward to welcoming even larger classes in 2025 as we continue strengthening our ranks.”
The Minns government’s work to support NSW Police officers and address the chronic shortage of personnel also includes:
- Abolishing the wages cap
- Setting up a historic new scheme to pay students to study to become an officer, which has already seen applications surge by 50% over the previous year; and
- Two recently announced programs specifically aimed at attracting both experienced officers and regional recruits
“This is a monumental day for the NSW Police,” Minister for Police and Counter-terrorism Yasmin Catley said.
“Class 364 is the largest attesting class in a decade – strong evidence the tide is turning on recruitment.
“Next year is set to be even bigger, with more than 1,000 recruits attesting.
“The NSW Government backs our police to the hilt.
“We are focused on retaining experienced officers and recruiting new ones which is why we’ve secured a historic pay deal, we’re paying recruits to train and offering recruits from the bush a pathway to work in or near their hometown after attesting.”
Additionally, the Police Mobility Program, which welcomes officers from other jurisdictions, has already resulted in almost 30 applications, showcasing its success in attracting experienced talent to the NSW Police Force.
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