Twelve new police officers headed for Newcastle, Hunter and Port Stephens commands

Newy 87.8 FM – Twelve new probationary constables are set to start work in Hunter-region police commands after a record-breaking 353 officers attested at the NSW Police Academy on Friday 21 August 2026, the largest class in 14 years.

Of the graduating cohort, four have been allocated to the Port Stephens-Hunter Police District, three to Hunter Valley, three to Lake Macquarie and two to Newcastle City. The new officers will begin their first day at police stations across the state on Monday 24 August 2026.

Class 369 is made up of 261 men and 92 women, with the youngest recruit aged 18 and the oldest 59. The class includes 15 First Nations recruits and 48 members born overseas from 25 countries, and the cohort speaks 17 languages other than English.

For the next 12 months, the probationary constables will complete on-the-job training and study by distance education before officially graduating with an Associate Degree in Policing Practice and being confirmed to the rank of Constable. Class 369 is the first class to graduate with Western Sydney University.

A further 17 experienced officers from other jurisdictions also attested through the Professional Mobility Program, the first class from that recruitment initiative to attest on the Academy's parade grounds.

NSW Police Force Commissioner Mal Lanyon said the graduates' training would "provide a strong foundation as they transition to frontline policing across metropolitan, regional and rural communities".

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