It's over and out for our IPLDP students

This final group was welcomed to the police family as sworn-in police officers by Assistant Chief Constable Kem Mehmet and the Police and Crime Commissioner for Derbyshire Hardyal Dhindsa. They began training back in June and now, after 17 very full-on weeks, they join police stations across Derbyshire from Swadlincote in the south to Buxton in the north.

All of the group have worked in policing before, whether a police community support officer, a volunteer special constable or in a police staff role like that of a detective staff investigator or detention officer. It's great news for us that they've chosen to carry on their careers in policing as full-time police officers and for them it's their dream come true.

Hardyal Dhindsa, Police and Crime Commissioner for Derbyshire, said: "This latest group of new police officers illustrates that Derbyshire Constabulary is a great place to work. They have all been part of our policing family in a previous role, and therefore bring their own knowledge and experience to bear as police officers. They can really hit the ground running. Our recruitment plans are carrying on, as we promised, despite the current challenges and I'm confident that our residents and businesses can see a real difference now. We are concentrating on the issues that people have said matter most to them and I know that these new officers will add to that capacity. I wish them all a happy, successful career."

A little piece of history

The Initial Police Learning and Development Programme (IPLDP) with its two-year probationary period has been the traditional entry route for years, but that's all about to change.

Sergeant Damien Shannon, Assessment and Core Training Team Leader, explains: "IPLDP started in Derbyshire back in 2006 and has been the mainstay of initial police recruitment ever since. Many serving officers including myself have joined through IPLDP and will have fond memories of their time in training on the course.

"We have had to adapt the current and final course due to Covid-19 and I thank the final cohort of students for their commitment and flexibility to ensure we have done the final ever IPLDP course justice. It has been a challenge but they and the training team have risen to it.

"As we move into the new year, we will be having the first of our Degree Holder Entry courses as well as continuing with our newly developed Police Constable Degree Apprenticeship programme, and I'm sure the officers joining on these new entry routes will enjoy a new approach to learning designed to meet the needs of modern policing."

To mark this moment in our history, we'd like to share with you, and their families and friends, this video of their time with us in training.