Young constable ‘buzzing’ as Notts Police recruitment blitz continues

One of Nottinghamshire Police’s newest recruits says he “couldn’t be happier” after fulfilling his childhood ambition by becoming a cop.

PC Oliver Lewis said he’s dreamt of being a police officer since he was just four years old.

Yesterday (Friday 7 October), that dream came true as he officially became a police constable at a pass out ceremony alongside 18 other new recruits.

Watching on were proud family members who travelled to the force’s Arnold headquarters for the special occasion.

The officers have completed a 19-week training programme and will now be deployed across Nottinghamshire in Response teams – the heart of uniformed policing.

PC Oliver Lewis, formerly an estate agents photographer, said it was a proud moment.

He said: “I’ve wanted to be a police officer since I was about four years old. For me it’s about helping communities, protecting people, saving lives and locking up the bad guys.”

The 23-year-old will be joining the Response team at West Bridgford Station, with his first shift on Monday.

“I’m buzzing,” he said. “To finally say I’m a police officer and will be going out into the real world is a massive deal for me. I’m starting with a night shift which means I’m going in at the deep end – but I couldn’t be happier.”

Among the other recruits in yesterday’s pass out ceremony was PC Saara Nawaz, who joined from the Department for Work and Pensions where she worked as a policy officer.

PC Nawaz said: “I’m going to be based at Worksop and I’ve already met the team. They’re a brilliant team with a brilliant sergeant and a great tutor.

“Hopefully our training has prepared us well and all credit goes to our trainer Andy Timms. He’s been brilliant throughout. He’s kept us on our toes by testing us on definitions and ensuring we know the legislation inside out. We have a test every morning to make sure that when we go out there we’re able to apply the law correctly.”

Asked what attracted her to Nottinghamshire Police, the Yorkshire-born officer said: “I feel the values of Nottinghamshire Police align with my values. Honesty, integrity, serving others – these are all values that are important to me.

“I also love front-facing roles and the aspect of communicating with people of all walks of life and backgrounds and being there for them in their time of need.”

Yesterday’s ceremony was the latest in a string of passing out parades at force HQ, with officer ranks in Nottinghamshire now at their highest levels in over a decade as part of the national Police Uplift programme.

The initiative has also led to the force becoming one of the most representative in the country – with a more diverse group of officers more accurately reflecting the communities they serve.

Since achieving its Uplift target in March 2022 – a full year ahead of schedule – Nottinghamshire Police has continued to recruit. A further 121 cops have joined since April 2022, swelling the force’s ranks to 2,408 officers.

Deputy Chief Constable Steve Cooper, who oversaw yesterday’s pass out parade, said: “We continue to bring new officers into the force and the pass out ceremony was a proud moment for us all.

"I'd like to thank the family and friends of the cohort, who turned up in great numbers to witness the ceremony.

"We continue to recruit. A fully resourced police force helps us fight crime more effectively and is exactly what local people want.

“We're already seeing the results of sustained investment, with all crime dropping by 7.2 per cent in Nottinghamshire during the year to 31 March 2022 compared to baseline pre-pandemic levels in the year to 31 March 2020.

“The new officers we are continuing to recruit are vital to supporting the work we do all year round to prevent and reduce crime.”

Of the 121 new police officers recruited since April, 30.6% were female and 7.4% are from ethnic minority groups – meaning Nottinghamshire Police is continuing to recruit a greater proportion of officers from black and minority ethnic backgrounds compared to the national average.

Mr Cooper said: “We are paying special attention to encouraging people from all walks of life to consider a policing career. We are building a service that better represents the communities we serve and will continue working with partners in order to further expand diversity in our ranks.

“If you are enthusiastic, dedicated and want to be part of one, big, inclusive family where you’ll make a difference every day, we want to hear from you.”

Nottinghamshire Police provides a variety of routes into policing in order to attract talented and dedicated candidates, whatever their background.

Full details, including current vacancies, can be found at: Careers | Nottinghamshire Police