POLICE Minister Mike Gallacher beat a hasty retreat from Friday’s attestation parade at the Goulburn Police Academy.
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Unlike Police Commissioner Andrew Scipione and several of his deputies who stood around chatting with the new officers and other serving police after the ceremony, the Minister did not join other members of the official party in the informal gathering.
Some 200km away, Mr Gallacher had been implicated in Independent Commission Against Corruption proceedings. He was alleged to have been intimately involved in setting up a scheme to funnel thousands of dollars in illegal donations to a Liberal Party ‘slush fund.’ Just hours later, he stepped down as Minister.
But Friday was a proud moment for 182 students in “Class 321” of the Associate Degree in Policing Practice.
The State’s newest police officers were attested by Commissioner Scipione who in his welcome speech impressed on the probationary constables the importance of integrity in everything they did.
Mr Gallacher told the audience that he too, once stood on the parade ground just as the officers before him and had been proud of the occasion and his decision to join the NSW Police.
The new police officers have come from very diverse backgrounds and while some have effectively gone straight from school to university, many have other careers behind them.
One such probationary constable is Jason Giuliani, 36, a father of three, from the Central Coast.
He was a floor and wall tiler but gave up that career and with the support of his wife, family and some government financial assistance has finally attested, after twice failing before to complete the course.
“He was really determined to become a police officer,” his wife Rebecca said.
“It has been a long hard road for all of us and we are so proud of him for sticking to his goals.”
“The whole of the course was difficult but the hardest part was probably leaving home on a Sunday and driving the three and a half hours to Goulburn away from the family,” Probationary Constable Giuliani said.
“I have wanted to be a police officer for a long time and have several cousins who have encouraged me to take this step.”
He said the support of his wife had kept him going when things got really tough, particularly when he faced having to repeat the classes to achieve his goal.
Prob Constable Giuliani said that at this stage he had no idea which part of the force he might like to specialise.
“I’ll just take each day as it comes and keep studying hard, aiming to complete the course in the next 12 months,” he said.
“I am looking forward to starting work at Eastwood Station after all this time.”