Follow Crawley’s new police officer on patrol

The ‘variety of incidents’ was the reason Crawley’s latest police officer chose the town as her first post following her training.
PC Charlie BoycePC Charlie Boyce
PC Charlie Boyce

And when new recruit PC Charlie Boyce carried out personal safety training she had no idea how soon she would need to put it into practice.

Just two shifts into policing the streets of Sussex she was forced to tackle a drunk motorist who was resisting arrest.

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“I was proactive and put everything I had learned into practice when the motorcyclist assaulted two of my colleagues,” said PC Boyce, who is now two weeks into her first posting at Crawley.

“It’s great to be out on the streets, and implementing everything I’ve learned in the classroom. I have attended a variety of incidents in the Crawley area, which has given me the opportunity to target criminals and engage with the public.”

Charlie is part of a record intake of 70 police officers who started in September, the largest in a decade, funded by last year’s rise in council tax.

She joins her colleagues who, this month, have started serving communities across Sussex following an intensive 15 weeks of training.

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They are part of a drive that will see hundreds of police officers recruited over the next four years, including an extra 200 officers all paid for by the policing precept.

The journey of the new recruits has been documented on Sussex Police’s social media channels. Their experiences, as they begin policing communities across Sussex, will be showcased in a series of videos and stories over the coming weeks.

Chief Constable Giles York said: “After working hard learning complex legislation, procedure, personal safety and problem-solving, our recruits, supervised by experienced tutor constables, are already making a positive impact in our local communities. We hope their stories will inspire others to join us when our next recruitment window opens later this year. ”

Sussex PCC, Katy Bourne, commented: “I am always interested to meet our new recruits, both police officers and PCSOs, and find out what motivated them to join the Force. The range of different backgrounds and experiences mean they all have something special to offer the Force and contribute to the policing of local neighbourhoods.

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“I welcome every one of our new recruits and appreciate their hard work and dedication in completing the demanding Sussex Police training. Over the coming months I plan to get out to see them at work across the county, helping to keep local communities safe and providing the reassuring visible presence that the public tell me is so important.to them.”

Last year’s council tax rise has been used to strengthen local policing, improve ways for the public to make contact, and further modernise the service to meet new and increasingly complex demands.

Recruitment of new police officers involves a rigorous assessment process that can take up to 8-10 months. It is carried out at regular intervals to manage capacity in training and tutorship. The next round of recruitment is planned for summer 2019.