People considering applying to the Police Service of Northern Ireland's student officer recruitment campaign are being encouraged to listen to the latest podcast instalment, 'Life in Garnerville', which offers a useful look at the process.

Episode four of the 10-part 'PSNI Beyond the Badge' series features voices from Garnerville, home of the PSNI's Police College. Listen here: psni-beyondthebadge.podbean.com/

The Police College site dates back to the 1950s. It opened as a central training facility for RUC officers in 1986 and welcomed its first PSNI recruits in November 2001.

Presenter Lata Sharma speaks with Garnerville Training Manager Inspector Cherith Adair, probationary Constable Andy Pentland, and Bev Cripps, Director of Training, Learning and Organisational Development.

Bev, who originally trained as a teacher and worked as a vice-principal, says her day-to-day role at the College has been "very surprising" because of its variety. "We work with partners in lots of different ways, as well as with colleagues across many different departments in the organisation. It's so multi-faceted," she says.

Cherith spent 25 years in public relations before applying to the PSNI for a second time at the age of 45, completing her training at Garnerville aged 46. She says: "I came into the profession a bit later than most. It was a really humbling experience – effectively going back to school, yet it was all I wanted to do. I understood the training programme for what it was and what it can deliver. I loved the College to the point of saying, 'One day, I want to work here.'"

After finishing her probation, Cherith entered the fast-track promotion process and progressed to Inspector within two years.

Andy attested at Garnerville in April 2026 and is now a probationary constable, with around 18 months of probation still to complete. Before joining the Police Service he worked in finance and music. He tells Lata: "I was excited about being part of a team and wanted a career where I could do this. It was an intense recruitment process, but I am proud of myself for going through it."

The episode looks at a typical day for a new recruit, the recruitment journey, and what happens at assessment centres.

Listeners also hear how the Police College helps officers and staff develop the knowledge, skills and confidence required for their roles within the Police Service of Northern Ireland.

To learn more and apply to become a student officer, visit www.joinpsni.co.uk/police-officer. The site sets out each step of the process, details the role and includes testimonials from officers about their careers.