On Thursday, August 17, 2023, 15 student detectives celebrated finishing classroom training and moving onto the frontline for Bedfordshire Police.
They are on the accelerated detective route where they will become qualified investigators in as little as two years.
The students come from a range of backgrounds, with CVs covering roles in retail, the prison service, education, and IT while some have degrees in psychology and forensics.
They have passed initial training and will now work with a tutor who will support and coach them through the different jobs they attend.
In their tutorship they will work with patrol teams responding to different incidents called in by the public, they will also help deliver local priorities and take on workloads to help free-up fully ranked officers to go to 999 emergency calls.
Once they complete their fast-tracked officer training, they will join detective teams and start putting their investigative mindset to work.
Student Detective Redwan said: “It’s amazing to think that everyone in the cohort comes from different backgrounds and working experience and we have all come together with one common goal – making Bedfordshire safer.
“I am excited to get through initial training and start working in the real world. There are so many opportunities for me at Bedfordshire Police. I can climb the ranks, specialise, work in different teams, all as a detective.
“My favourite part of training was interviewing suspects and witnesses and learning how to deal with different answers. It was an exciting insight into what we will face when we begin our detective training.”
Inspector Vicky Stoughton, from our people and workforce team, said: “The students celebrating today have had a lot to learn and will continue learning every day. It is a tough transition and learning process but it’s well worth it when they can say they’ve saved a life or put a criminal behind bars.
“Today is also a day for students receiving their A Levels and time to decide about the future. If you’re worried about your results, university placements or university debt, policing is a good option for you.
“We have a route where we will fund your degree in policing, with Anglia Ruskin University, and you will earn a wage of £30k per year, starting from your first day. This is perfect for anyone who wants to earn a degree while starting an exciting and fruitful career.
“If you are interested in policing, on or off the frontline, come down to our open day and speak to the different teams that work to keep the public safe.”
Bedfordshire Police is hosting a recruitment open day on Saturday, September 9, to showcase the different roles officers, detectives and staff members can pursue when joining.
The open day is at Bedfordshire Police HQ, 10am to 4pm on Saturday, September 9.
