Ten new police officers will begin their beat in Merthyr Tydfil and Rhondda Cynon Taff (Northern BCU) after graduating from training.
The officers took part in a passing out parade at the University of Glamorgan where they were welcomed by Chief Superintendent Kevin O’Neill.
Chief Supt O’Neill said: “The passing out parade was a significant moment for the new officers but also for our communities who will soon be seeing these faces on the streets of Merthyr Tydfil and Rhondda Cynon Taff.
“The parade signifies the end of their training and the start of their policing career with South Wales Police – the hard work starts now and they are all keen and determined to make a difference.”
The ten officers will continue to be assessed through their two year probationary period, during which time they must achieve a Level 3 Diploma qualification in Basic Policing.
These officers were among 40 officers to recently graduate from the Universities Police Science Institute at the Vale of Glamorgan, Initial Police Learning Development Programme at University of Glamorgan, Treforest, where they learnt skills such as the effective investigation of crimes and the importance of community-led policing.
As part of the structured-learning program, the student police officers undertook a series of practical exercises dealing with real life scenarios in public places, enabling them to transfer their new found policing skills to ‘real time’ incidents.
Chief Supt O’Neill added: “Despite these difficult financial times, I hope residents feel reassured that the force is still investing in front-line policing. Initially these officers will be on response which means they will be the ones responding to 999 calls delivering a prompt response to any emergency.”
The following recruits will be based in Dowlais Police Station: Pc Jennifer George, PC Matthew O’Sullivan, PC Andrew Evans, PC James Hutchings and Pc Bernadette Collins.
The following recruits will be based Pontypridd Police Station: Pc Anthony Ferguson, Pc Paul Bishop, Pc Michael John, Pc Nathan Grattan-Smith and Pc Richard Davies. Pc Davies won the course award for ‘Student of the Course’ voted by his peers for his commitment and support to others officers.
