Nine new police recruits have arrived in Katherine for their first shift on the beat.
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The recent graduates are to be based in Katherine permanently and will have the opportunity to relieve in remote locations near by, while also learning the ropes across all policing areas.
Police Commander Michael Hebb said the extra resources will provide greater flexibility to attend to arising issues in the community.
“We had sufficient resources, but the new recruits provide a welcome boost,” Commander Hebb said.
“Katherine is a fantastic location for people to develop their policing skills.
“The timing is good in the fact that we are coming into emergency management and school holidays and it will be beneficial to have the extra resources,” he said.
The recruits hail from Victoria, South Australia, New South Wales, Tasmania and the Territory, with one recruit returning home to Katherine and another from as far as Wales in the UK.
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The new recruits bring the force to 96 officers and will increase police visibility on the streets and support to the community.
“Any increase in resources allows us to target crime hot spots,” Commander Hebb said.
“If we want to target alcohol, property crime or road safety we will have that extra flexibility.”
Ten of the 22 new police auxiliaries to take over bottle shop duties from regular police will be arriving in Katherine in early January, adding to the supportive measures that mitigate violence and crime.
The recruits recently graduated from Police Fire and Emergency Services College.
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