Chief Constable Iain Livingstone welcomed 297 new probationary Constables to Police Scotland and thanked them for their commitment to public service during an oath of office ceremony at Police Scotland Headquarters, Tulliallan yesterday.
The recruits made the Police Constable’s declaration to faithfully discharge their duties with fairness, integrity, diligence and impartiality, and promised to uphold fundamental human rights under the authority of Justice of the Peace, Dr Vicki Nash.
Chief Constable Livingstone said: “Our officers come from the diverse communities we serve and from who draw our legitimacy. What unites us in Police Scotland are our values and a shared mission to keep people safe.
“As Chief Constable, I welcome our new Constables and thank them for stepping forward to make what is a significant commitment to public service and to underline the values and behaviours they must uphold and promote.
“Policing is a demanding but rewarding vocation. The oath of office ceremony is an important opportunity to emphasise that Constables who discharge their duties in accordance with our values and their oath have my support as Chief Constable, and the support of the Police Service of Scotland.”
The intake, made up of 56% male recruits and 44% female, ranges in age from 19 to 52, with the majority falling in the 25 – 34 years age bracket.
Of the intake, 10% identified as being from a minority ethnic group, totalling 29 officers, and languages spoken fluently by recruits include Polish, Romanian, Norwegian, German, French, Spanish, Italian, Urdu, Punjabi, Hindi, Persian and Chinese Mandarin.
Six of the recruits were previously serving Special Constables with Police Scotland, two were members of Police Staff, and 17 of the new constables have previous military service.
Chief Constable Livingstone said: “Recruiting officers who share our values and reflect and represent all our communities is vital to maintain and enhance our crucial bond of trust with the public we serve.
“We have a positive moral and legal duty to improve the lives of our fellow citizens. This includes being representative of the communities we serve, making us accessible and approachable. The increasing diversity of our recruits continues to help our organisation to do this.”
The new recruits will undertake 12 weeks of initial training before joining colleagues serving communities across Scotland during a two-year probationary period.
The Chief Constable spoke earlier this year of the measures taken in response to the COVID pandemic as well as the need to provide effective policing during the COP26 climate change summit. This included amending intakes and initial training, meaning overall officer numbers were lower than would otherwise be the case.
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