“You are joining a force focussed on getting justice for victims of crime.”

That’s the message from our Chief Constable to the 69 new officers who took their oaths today ready to start keeping your neighbourhood safe.

Chief Constable Ben-Julian Harrington was joined by Mrs Jennifer Tolhurst the Lord Lieutenant of Essex, Mrs Julie Fosh, the High Sherrif and the Police, Fire, and Crime Commissioner Roger Hirst, as well as the friends and loved ones of the officers on their way to join Neighbourhood Policing Teams and Commands across the county.

In his speech to the new recruits the Chief outlined the cornerstone of policing:

“Fairness, integrity, diligence and impartiality. 

“Words that will ensure your professionalism, that will guide you in everything you do – you join a force which is big enough to get things done but small enough to feel like a family. 

He also said the work of every officer will be, rightly, the subject to scrutiny: 

“Scrutiny from people in your neighbourhood. And – sometimes – scrutiny from pretty much anyone with a smartphone, if some recent events in Epping are anything to go by.

“However, I would remind you to consider your oath as a constable, the code of ethics of courage, empathy and public service and then by using the skills you have learned you will get it right and make a positive difference. 

“With the powers we are granted it is only right that people want to know what we do and how we do it. It right that we are accountable to communities and to those who are elected to lead us, but once again I would remind you that first and foremost we are accountable to the law. 

“Not the newspapers, not to protestors and not to commentators on social media in Essex or elsewhere.

“But beneath the noise and the fuss I want you to remember a few things.

“There’s a myth that we are sometimes too distracted to deal with ‘real’ crime. A false idea that we’ve been too busy with unimportant work to focus on ‘real’ criminals.

“It’s not true. In the last year, the colleagues who you now join have solved 1,000 more offences in the last year than the previous 12 months. Just think about that; 1,000 more crimes solved.

“The force – your new police family – will be focused on one thing this Autumn: getting justice for victims of crime. 

“We’ve secured 4,000 charges for violent crime, up on the year before. We’ve solved nearly 800 more shop theft offences, we’re solving more home burglaries, more rape and sexual offences, and more domestic abuse cases.

“In just the last month a woman who had been sexually abused as a child almost 20 years ago thanked the specialist detectives who got her justice after her abuser was jailed for 16 years.

“A woman who was assaulted by her partner praised the work of the officers in her case after he was jailed for three years.

“Our Neighbourhood Policing Teams have secured jail sentences for a prolific shoplifter in Harlow and a sex offender in Chelmsford.

“Our commitment to tackling burglary has seen arrests made within minutes of calls in Loughton and Buckhurst Hill.

“And a grandfather whose home was broken into in Southend said he couldn’t praise highly enough the officers who responded to his call for help.”

And before they finished and started to prepare for their new roles, Mr Harrington had a final piece of advice: 

“Remember that we police with consent. Listen to the neighbourhoods and the communities you serve. Explain what you do and why you do it and remember you are just citizens in uniform, and it is from public trust in our profession that our authority derives. 

“I am proud to be your Chief. I am proud of this force, and I am proud of every one of you. 

“Well done and good luck. I wish you all the very best in your careers.”

Roger Hirst, Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner for Essex, said: 

“I’m always pleased to welcome newly qualified officers to Essex Police in the presence of their families.

“It takes hard work and dedication to be here and I congratulate all 69 officers on parade today for completing their initial training.

“Our new officers now have a unique opportunity to prove that Essex Police is a visible, effective, responsive and efficient service, which is worthy of public trust. I’m sure our new officers will live up to this task, working with all community safety partners to drive crime further down and make county communities even safer.”

This article originally appeared on essexpolicemedia.co.uk and was republished with permission.