Four new police recruits will be joining the Tweed/Byron Police Area Command, Member for Tweed Geoff Provest announced today.
The new recruits were part of 269 recruits welcomed to the NSW Police Force at an attestation ceremony in Goulburn today.
Mr Provest welcomed the allocation of more police officers to the Tweed/Byron Police Area Command and congratulated the new recruits on attesting from the academy after more than eight months of world-class training.
“The Tweed is in safer hands with more officers joining the ranks today,” Mr Provest said.
“I am proud to welcome these recruits and wish them every success in their policing careers. Being sworn in as a police officer is a great honour and I commend these new recruits for making the brave decision to put the community’s safety ahead of their own.
“The NSW Liberals & Nationals are investing $583 million in 1500 extra officers over the next four years, the biggest increase in three decades.
“This includes an extra 18 Rural Crime Investigators to be deployed across regional NSW to target country crime including stock theft, illegal hunting, stealing, and trespass and firearms offences.”
Minister for Police and Emergency Services David Elliott said the State would be a safer place with the 269 new recruits assigned to local Police Area Commands across NSW.
The new recruits include 177 men and 92 women. Twenty-nine recruits were born overseas in countries including Iraq, Croatia and Wales.
Nineteen of the new recruits are from an Indigenous background, including five who have come through the Indigenous Police Recruitment Our Way Delivery (IPROWD) Program to boost Aboriginal Australians in the NSW Police Force.
“I want to welcome each and every attesting recruit to the police family, and pay particular mention to the 19 Indigenous new recruits who will become strong leaders in their communities,” Mr Elliott said.
NSW Police Force Commissioner Mick Fuller said the attestation was a milestone for recruits.
“Today is a day to celebrate. Our newest recruits have worked extremely hard to be standing on the parade ground,” Commissioner Fuller said.
“Next week they will discover the great sense of pride and responsibility that comes from donning the blue uniform. I welcome them to the NSW Police Force.”