The latest cohort of trained recruits have graduated from the Queensland Police Service’s Oxley Academy.
The graduation ceremony came just a matter of days before another cohort of more than 100 recruits entered the Academy to begin their comprehensive training course.
Queensland Police Service Commissioner, Katarina Carroll said there were currently more than 1,200 applicants being assessed, with the expectation that approximately 600 recruits would go through the Police Academies between now and the end of the year.
In welcoming 38 new First Year Constables (FYC) into the Service, Commissioner Carroll noted that four police dogs were also inducted at the ceremony.
“This ceremony is a significant milestone in the lives of the new officers, which acknowledges their dedication and accomplishments,” Commissioner Carroll said.
“Throughout their training, the recruits have already gained real-world experience.”
She said the new FYCs would spend the next 12 months rotating through allocated stations, providing them with the opportunity to gain experience in a broad range of policing duties.
The four Police Dogs, Ebony (Labrador), Gypsy (Labrador), Lily (Dutch Shepherd) and Stryker (Belgian Shepherd), graduated from the Firearm and Explosive Detection Dog 14-week initial training course.
They were trained to detect a variety of odours including commercial, military, and home-made explosives, and those that are firearms-related.
The four dogs will be deployed State-wide with their police partners and perform duties attached to the Explosive Ordnance Response Team, including security searches and bomb threats.
