Little could the latest recruit class to graduate from the AFP college at Barton have anticipated that when they signed on they would almost immediately enter into the most disconnected form of training that local police have ever had to manage.
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In a training regime which customarily embraces and encourages a team work ethic, for the first eight weeks of their 23-week program the recruits were all but locked down inside the college, separated into small groups, with no gymnasium, and connecting with their loved ones outside via Skype.
For officers who will spend some part of their future careers working to put people "away", this time they were the ones under tough restrictions.
"I guess you have a sort of an idea and get told beforehand what it would be like in the college but then the coronavirus restrictions came in - and everything had to be changed around," one of the newest graduates from the college, Constable Eliza Rose, said.
"Some of the classrooms at the college don't have the space so we were travelling out to Majura, and into [federal police] headquarters to have classes in the theatrette and even the commissioner's dining room."
The latest recruit class of eight women and 14 men - with the bias now happily trending toward more female graduates to create a better gender balance among police - are mostly former unsworn members who decided to take the oath and join the "uniforms".
Both Constables Rose and Madison Carey had been working as investigative assistants in counter-terrorism, while Constable Robert Bennett had been working, ironically, in recruitment.
The Productivity Commission's latest report on government services showed the ACT had the lowest number of operational full-time police of any Australian jurisdiction in 2019-20, at 205 per 100,000, the same as in 2018-19.
ACT police numbers have been declining since 2015-16 although a $33.9 million funding boost in last year's budget was flagged to lift recruitment.
However, the process of assessing and screening prospective police recruits can be a lengthy one unless, as in this case, they were already on staff.
Two more recruit classes are going through the college now.
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Each graduate is given an opportunity to list their preference as to which station they would like to be assigned in their new roles as general duties constables, although the reality is that their immediate futures are often in the hands of their senior officers.
After their 12-month "workbook" of proficiencies are signed off by their sergeants, Constable Rose has a longer-term ambition to be a negotiator, Constable Carey is looking to achieve her detective designation, and Constable Bennett has a goal of one day joining the search and rescue team.
