New probationary constable starts at Maitland police station

The Probationary Constable started at Maitland on August 27, and has teamed up with a local unit to hit the streets and tackle crime.

Probationary Constable Gaetcke-Hirst was one of 226 recruits who graduated from the Goulburn Police Academy on August 17.

The 26-year-old will complete 12 months on-the-job training in Maitland and study by distance at Charles Sturt University before she officially graduates with an Associate Degree in Policing Practice. Once graduated, she will be confirmed to the rank of constable.

Probationary Constable Gaetcke-Hirst said it was a high school careers expo that ignited the fire for her to become a police officer.

After leaving school, she completed a degree in criminology and criminal justice before being accepted into the academy.

She said she believed the career would give her a “sense of purpose and pride”.

“I’ve always done the right thing and like seeing people who don’t do the right thing brought to justice,” she said.

Probationary Constable Gaetcke-Hirst said the experience so far had showed her there was still a lot to learn.

“There’s a lot of variety,” she said. “No two days are the same.”

NSW Police Commissioner Mick Fuller said the probationary constables were challenged physically and mentally in their training and this next chapter would show them what it means to put on the uniform each day.