MORE than 300 police recruits – at 314 the largest class in 13 years – were sworn into the NSW Police Force last week, bolstering frontline policing across New South Wales.

Recruits of Class 366 were welcomed as they attested at the Goulburn Police Academy.

The new officers will be deployed to 57 Police Area Commands and Police Districts across the state, strengthening the NSWPF’s capability to fight crime and keep communities safe.

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 six regions, with 13 recruits taking advantage of the Be A Cop In Your Hometown program.

Strong local policing is particularly important in regional and rural New South Wales, 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.

Premier Chris Minns said welcomed class 366 to the NSW Police Force.

“On behalf of the people of New South Wales, I thank you for putting your hand up to serve and protect our communities,” Mr Minns said.

“Policing is a tough and demanding profession, but it also offers extraordinary opportunities for a rewarding career.

“This record class shows our reforms are working – paying recruits to study, delivering a historic pay rise, and opening new pathways to serve regional New South Wales.”

Minister for Police and Counter-terrorism Yasmin Catley said every one of the new recruits has shown a steadfast commitment to make New South Wales a safer place.

“I wish them all a long, rich and rewarding career with the NSW Police Force,” Ms Catley said.

“These recruits are going to where they’re needed most and are ready to hit the ground running and make a real difference in their communities.

“For many, becoming a police officer wouldn’t be possible without paid study. This historic reform is attracting not only more recruits, but a more diverse cohort with significant life experience – New South Wales is all the richer for it.

“The Minns Labor Government is working hard to get more boots on the ground. While there’s more to do, we have secured better pay, are paying recruits to train and have set up pathways for regional recruits to serve in or near their hometown and experienced officers to transfer to NSW.

“Class 366 is the largest class in 13 years, the class before this was the largest class in 11 years. That’s down to the leadership of Commissioner Webb and the landmark initiatives she’s helped us achieve.”

Watch video: Attestation of Class 366