Narrabri’s newest police officers welcomed to town

Two new probationary police officers have been welcomed to the Narrabri command.

Constable Jacob Croese graduated from the training academy in Goulburn in recent weeks, and Constable Tynan Lane was part of the cohort before that.

The new officers are fitting in well in their new town, saying Narrabri has been very welcoming.

“I like living out in the country, and this community has been very kind to us so far,” Cons Lane said.

It was that love of the rural lifestyle that initially attracted him to the area.

“I have family in Tamworth so, even though I’m originally from the coast, I wanted to work in regional NSW,” Cons Lane said. “I selected the Oxley district as my preferred location and was lucky enough to be stationed here.”

Cons Croese had a similar experience, explaining the appeal of regional NSW played a part in his journey to being placed in Narrabri.

“I prefer life in a country town, so I’m really happy I was stationed here,” he said.

“I’ve settled in well already, the community has been really inviting – I’m loving it.”

Cons Croese relocated from southern NSW for the job, while Cons Lane came to Narrabri from the greater Sydney area.

The new officers undertook four months of online study, before completing 16 weeks of hands-on training at the New South Wales Police Academy.

Due to COVID-19, both cohorts were locked down in the Goulburn facility, unable to see friends or family for the duration of their time there.

Cons Lane completed his training on April 13 and Cons Croese on October 8, with Narrabri being their first on-the-job station after graduating.

Cons Croese completed his training as part of class 349, along with 226 other new probationary Constables, while Cons Lane’s class Consisted of 149 men and 55 women.

Law enforcement has always appealed to Cons Croese.

“I was in a warehousing job prior to this, just getting through my online study and training to improve my fitness as I prepared for Goulburn,” he said.

Meanwhile Cons Lane took on work with the police force as an opportunity for a sea change.

“I’ve moved around a bit after growing up in Fingal Bay – I lived in Sydney after school where I undertook some tertiary study, before working in the pet industry,” he said.

“I then decided I wanted to do something a little different, which is when I made the choice to join the police force.”

The two new officers will be tasked with upholding the law across the district, with their jurisdiction covering Narrabri, Wee Waa, Boggabri, Gurley and Pilliga.

Inspector Robert Dunn has welcomed the new officers with open arms, saying they have been a delightful addition to the station.

“It’s always great to welcome keen new graduates to the force, and I’m especially pleased they’ve settled in well to the community,” he said.

“Narrabri is full of wonderful people and I hope the new officers enjoy their time here.”