THERE’S a big difference between the made up streets of the NSW Police Force Academy’s ‘Rossiville’ and real life, as the Griffith police station’s new recruits are discovering.
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However, Griffith’s five newest police officers have demonstrated they are more than ready and willing to meet the challenge.
While for some joining the force was the upholding of a valued family tradition, for others like 43-year-old Constable Anthony Butcher, it’s the realisation of a life-long dream.
“I always wanted to be a policeman, ever since I was young, but life gets in the way of some things,” Constable Butcher said.
“It’s a pretty special feeling to be here and my family were pretty happy they knew it was what I wanted to do and it was good to have that backing.
“It is different to what I thought it would be, probably the talking the most – it’s all about the communication, it’s more than just a physical job.”
On his seventh shift, Constable Benjamin Comerford said he had come to realise no amount of training could really prepare you for the realities of being a police officer.
“It’s so much to take in and to try to recall,” he said.
“The trainers at Goulburn give us a good idea of what to expect but there is still a lot to learn, but the officers here go the extra mile to help us.
“You can’t really ever fully prepare for what it’s actually like.”
Senior Constable Sue Lonsdale oversees the training of the new recruits in the Griffith LAC, pairing them with field training officers who help them to gain the experience of being a police officer on the streets.
She said while it could be overwhelming for new recruits they were well supported by the team at the station.
“It can be a challenge, especially for younger ones who have come to domestic disputes and then have to tell people older than them how to live their lives, it is a lot of pressure,” she said.
Despite their newness to their roles the burden of responsibility that comes with their position has not escaped the recruits.
“The most important thing for a police officer to have is integrity, because if you can’t be trusted to do this job then why are you doing it,” Constable Thomas Barron said.
