The students graduated from the following courses: Associate Degree in Policing Practice (This award is the requirement for confirmation to constable for the NSW Police Force); Bachelor of Policing; Bachelor of Policing (Investigations); Doctor of Policing and Security; Emergency Management (Bachelors through to Masters); Fire Investigations (Postgraduate); Intelligence Analysis (Postgraduate); Leadership and Management (Policing); Terrorism and Security Studies; and Fraud and Financial Crime (Postgraduate).

The awards were conferred by the Vice Chancellor of the Charles Sturt University, Professor Andrew Vann.

Graduates of the Associate Degree in Policing Practice become eligible for confirmation of appointment as constables in the NSW Police Force.

In recognition of this, and the partnership under which this course is offered, it is customary that the Commissioner for the NSW Police Force present testamurs to graduates.

NSW Police Commissioner Andrew Scipione was not able to attend and was represented by Assistant Commissioner Michael Corboy to present the policing graduates with their testamurs.

Head of the Australian Graduate School of Policing and Security at CSU, Nicholas O’Brien said that graduates came from not only Australia but other parts of the world to collect their degrees.

“There was one graduate who has been working for the U.N. over in New York and travelled all the way back to Goulburn to graduate from his Bachelor of Policing (Investigations) degree,” Mr O’Brien said.

“There was also a Masters graduate from Townsville who graduated with a Master in Terrorism and Community Studies, so our courses cover a diverse range of areas, not just the policing side of things.

“We even branch into courses such as Fire Investigation and Emergency Management.”

ACT Policing Chief Police Officer, Assistant Commissioner Rudy Lammers gave the address where he urged students to “inspire others but to pick their mark”.

An official Welcome To Country was carried out by local Aboriginal elder Wendy Lotter.

There were also four prizes, the Constable’s Education Program Medallion, won by Tom Stillwell, the Police Association of NSW Award, won by James Davidson, the Police Department Employees Credit Union Prize, won by Daniel Poole and finally the Bev Lawson Memorial Award, won by Melissa Barnsley.

“These four awards are given to students with the highest academic scores in their respective courses,” Rosemary Woolston from Charles Sturt University said.

“The Constable’s Education Program Medallion is for the most outstanding result achieved by a graduating student from the Associate Degree in Policing Practice.

“The prize is a boxed, engraved medallion provided by the NSW Police Force and an inscribed certificate issued by the University.

“The Bev Lawson Memorial Award is for the most outstanding result achieved by a female student graduating from the Associate Degree in Policing Practice, and the prize is usually a cheque and a framed certificate supplied by the NSW Police Force and again an inscribed certificate issued by the University.

“The Police Association of New South Wales Award is for the most outstanding result achieved by a student graduating from the Bachelor of Policing who is a sworn or unsworn member of the NSW Police Force.

“The prize is an engraved glass trophy as well as the certificate.

Finally, the Police Department Employees Bank Prize is for the most outstanding result achieved by a graduating student from the Bachelor of Policing (Investigations) who is a sworn or unsworn member of the NSW Police Force. 

The prize is a cheque plus a brass and wooden plaque supplied by Police Bank and an inscribed certificate issued by the university.”