Hawkesbury police have welcomed a new officer to the fold, with rookie Constable Geoff Bracken starting on the job last week.
Constable Bracken was one of 257 new recruits sworn in on Friday, December 7 at the Goulburn Police Academy, and will complete 12 months on-the-job training and study by distance education before officially graduating with an Associate Degree in Policing Practice.
“My first day has been good, they are all very welcoming here,” he told the Gazette on December 11.
“I am excited to get out there.”
Constable Bracken had earmarked the Hawkesbury command as a place to kick off his new career due to its mix of city and country life.
“The Hawkesbury is a great area and I live nearby,” he said. “It’s got a mixture of western Sydney and rural lifestyles.
“I didn’t know if I wanted to got to the country or stay in the city. It was a good happy medium, also being the largest [geographical] area in the North West Metropolitan region.
“It’s a nice station, too.”
Becoming a police officer had been a natural choice for community-minded Constable Bracken.
“I always wanted to work in emergency services,” he explained. “I chose the police because it gave a lot more back, I get to work a lot more with the community.”
NSW Police Commissioner Mick Fuller was on hand to inspect the new recruits on the parade ground at Goulburn, and said the day was “a huge milestone” for Constable Bracken and his colleagues.
“We welcome more than 250 new recruits to the ranks of the NSW Police Force, where they will be tested with new challenges every day,” Commissioner Fuller said in a statement.
“They have already proven themselves physically and academically to reach this point and from [December 10] they will experience the reward of serving the community as a police officer.”
Constable Bracken will be part of the local police team that will be on shift over the Christmas holiday period, and had some timely advice for those planning on celebrating in the Hawkesbury area.
“Just stay safe. You don’t want to have your family coming to the hospital to see you,” he said. “You want to stay at home and be able to enjoy your family.”
