314 police recruits – the largest class in 13 years - will be sworn into the NSW Police Force (NSWPF) today - bolstering frontline policing right across the state.
The Minns Labor Government will officially welcome Class 366 to the NSWPF this morning as they attest at the Goulburn Police Academy.
Last Friday’s record-breaking class is clear proof that the Minns Labor Government’s reforms to police pay, and recruitment are working.
While there is more to do, these results show we are making inroads to turning around recruitment and rebuilding the NSWPF after 12 years of the Liberals unfair wages cap.
The new officers will be deployed to 57 Police Area Commands and Police Districts across the state, strengthening the NSWPF’s capability to right crime and keep our communities safe.
This includes 5 officers for Nepean Police Area Command. These officers will hit the ground running today, bringing the total number of additional officers in our region since the 2023 election to 52.
Class 366 is made up of 221 men and 93 women (aged between 19 and 59). The cohort also includes 18 First Nations officers and officers who were born in 18 different countries.
The recruits will now begin 12 months of on-the-job training and will be deployed across:
Central Metropolitan Region – 69
Northern Region – 67
North West Metropolitan Region – 63
South West Metropolitan Region – 64
Southern Region – 29
Western Region – 22
13 recruits are taking advantage of the Minns Labor Government’s Be A Cop In Your Hometown program – electing to serve in or near their hometown after attesting.
This cohort is returning to the Mid North Coast PD, Coffs/Clarence PD, Oxley PD, Hunter Valley PD, Riverina PD and Murray River PD.
Strong local policing is particularly important in regional and rural NSW, where officers are trusted community figures and often the first point of support in times of crisis.
Class 366 has completed eight months of training (four months via distance education and four months of in-person training at Goulburn) and will now begin 12 months of on the job training as Probationary Constables.
The former Liberal-National Government had no plan for police recruitment, no plan for police retention and sent wages backwards for more than a decade. Thousands of experienced officers left the force as a result.
We are working hard to rebuild the NSWPF and create safer communities. While there is more to do, that work includes:
Delivering a once-in-a-generation pay rise for police officers
Establishing an historic scheme to pay recruits to train, resulting in a 72% increase in applications to join the NSWPF
Establishing the Be a Cop In Your Hometown program
Establishing the Professional Mobility Program to incentivise experienced officers from interstate and New Zealand to join the NSWPF
Member for Penrith, Karen McKeown OAM said:
“I warmly welcome these new recruits to the Nepean Police Area Command. They will play an important
role in delivering safer streets and stronger communities.
“I’m grateful for their decision to put on the uniform and dedicate themselves to serving and protecting our people in Penrith.
“I look forward to supporting them in their work and seeing the contribution they’ll make to our community.”
