Detective pathway officers pass out ready to join Cambridgeshire’s frontline

Fourteen new police officers will soon be joining the frontline as crime investigators in Cambridgeshire after they passed out at force HQ.

The student officers are on the force’s accelerated detective pathway and all have a degree, in subjects varying from criminology, to history and chemistry.

They are training to become detective constables within two years and achieve a graduate diploma in professional policing skill.

Today, they reached a major milestone as they passed out in front of family and friends and were welcomed to the force by Chief Constable Nick Dean.

Addressing the new recruits, Mr Dean said: “You have all joined with different experiences, different skills, ideas and approaches. We have employed you for what you bring to the constabulary.

"Diversity in all its forms, diversity of thought, ideas, and experience enriches our policing family and supports the communities it serves.

"Just as you will learn from your colleagues, we will also learn from you, learning never stops. So uphold the law, remember our values and your values, but do it in your way, be you.”

The accelerated detective entry route is an alternative to the traditional path of joining as a police constable and then choosing to work towards becoming a detective after the two-year probation.

It is a challenging but rewarding process, as students work alongside experienced detectives on the programme delivered in partnership with Anglia Ruskin University (ARU).

The force is about to begin recruiting to its new Police Constable Entry Programme (PCEP) for the first time.

The PCEP replaces the two-year Initial Police Learning and Development Programme (IPLDP+) and applications will be accepted from Monday (10 June).