GWENT Police has welcomed over 50 new officers to its ranks following a pass out parade in Cwmbran.

The group is made up of student officers who entered through the policing educational qualifications framework (PEQF).

This gives applicants the opportunity to study for an academic qualification, supported by the University of Wales Trinity St David, while undertaking their police training and protecting Gwent.

Monmouth MP David Davies, who served for nine years with the British Transport Police, attended the ceremony on Wednesday (14 December).

“As Secretary of State for Wales and a former special constable, I was keen to demonstrate my commitment to the police force and offer encouragement to those recruits joining Gwent Police,” said Mr Davies.

“It was a pleasure to congratulate the new officers on their achievements and thank them for choosing to dedicate their careers to Gwent.

“The UK Government has pledged to recruit over 1,000 new police officers across the four Welsh police forces by March 2023 and we are seeing the fruits of this uplift process coming through.”

The cohort, who will shortly be serving the communities of Gwent, now begin a 12-week phase of tutor-supervised police patrols on Gwent streets.

Chief Constable Pam Kelly said: “I’m thrilled to welcome 51 new officers to Gwent Police, all of whom bring a great mixture of experience, knowledge and skills which will prove invaluable in helping protect our communities from crime.

“We’re driven to deliver the best possible service for the public and our new colleagues will play an integral role in protecting people, keeping them safe, and bringing to justice those who commit crime and cause harm.

“I would like to wish each and every one of our new officers all the very best for their future careers in policing: serve your communities well and be the professional officers that make the communities of Gwent and your families proud.”

Police and Crime Commissioner Jeff Cuthbert added: “The new recruits have worked hard during their training, and the dedication and commitment they have shown is to be commended.

“The public deserve the very best service from policing and I know that these new officers will strive to do all they can to help ensure that Gwent continues to be one of the safest places in the UK to live, work and visit.”

These officers were joined by a new cohort of community support officers (CSOs), who marked the end of their training with a parade at Gwent Police headquarters on Thursday afternoon.

The force has a number of opportunities coming up, including a chance to work at the forefront of policing.

If you are interested in making a difference and want to help keep Gwent safe, the next police constable recruitment window opens in the new year. For more information, visit: https://www.gwent.police.uk/police-forces/gwent-police/areas/careers/join-us/police-officers2/police-officers/