New cops on the beat

May 15 2009

THEY’RE part of the biggest recruitment drive in the history of Strathclyde Police and coming to a street near you.

Four brand new cops pounded the beat in South Ayrshire for the very first time this week and are determined to do their bit to fight crime.

Rachel Gourlay, Stuart Ferguson, Ross Carter and Stuart Lawrie are among the hundreds of new recruits to graduate from the Scottish Police training college at Tulliallan so far this year.

They will help swell the number of officers on the streets of towns and villages across the county.

Superintendent John Hazlett is in charge of policing in South Ayrshire.

And he insists that the current recruitment drive is good news for communities.

He said: “It fits in with the new community policing model that was introduced last year.

“The new officers will be integrated into these teams and dedicated to working in specific communities.

“We’ve always had a community policing team but in the past there weren’t as many dedicated officers.

“Even taking account of holidays, court duty and sickness there should be enough officers to police each community because of the ongoing recruitment drive.”

The new cops come from a variety of backgrounds.

PC Gourlay will be based at Prestwick and at 18 she is one of the youngest recruits to join up.

She’s achieved her life long ambition to join the police after spending the past two and a half years as a cadet.

She explained: “It’s important to me to work in the community and I’m really pleased to have the chance to do that.

“The training we’ve been through has been very challenging at times. But it was excellent and helped us prepare for the job we’re going to do.

“I can’t wait to get started.”

PC Ferguson on the other hand is a 40-year-old dad who spent the last 10 years travelling Britain as an HGV driver.

He said: “I’ve had the forms twice in my life to join the police and didn’t have the confidence to fill them in until now.

“Because I’m a bit older I worried that I wouldn’t be able to keep up but it wasn’t a problem. We’ve all been well trained and I’m sure we’ll equip ourselves well.

“I’m going to be based in Ayr and I’m really looking forward to meeting people and being part of the community. I’m really looking forward to getting out there.”

UPBEAT: PCs Gourlay, Ferguson, Carter and Lawrie with Supt Hazlett (far right) and Inspector John Cairns (far left). emayp070509police-1