“Now they are highly trained professionals,” said Assistant Chief Constable Kerry Smith as new recruits stepped off the square at Griffin Park in West Cumbria. The Civil Nuclear Constabulary confirmed the latest cohort, IFP 106, has completed its course.

Two passing out parades - one in Oxfordshire, one in Cumbria - capped a 19‑week residential programme covering policing skills and firearms. Families looked on as officers from varied backgrounds marked the end of an intensive assessment phase, the CNC said in a GOV.UK statement published on 28 November 2025.

Griffin Park has quickly become a northern anchor for specialist training. Opened in 2021 near Whitehaven, the CNC describes its indoor live‑fire facility as among the largest of its kind in Europe, drawing teams from across the UK.

The sister ceremony in Oxfordshire reflects the force’s southern base. The CNC’s headquarters are at Culham Science Centre near Abingdon, and the constabulary also works alongside Thames Valley Police around Harwell - a reminder of the area’s nuclear footprint.

Chief Superintendent Sheree Owen told graduates they’d had “a fantastic 19 weeks” and were at the start of “a career’s worth of learning” as they head to site units.

From here, recruits move to Operational Policing Units across England and Scotland. Those posted in England continue on the Non‑Home Office Police Officer Apprenticeship, completing their End Point Assessment over two years before confirmation in rank, according to the CNC.

Officers return regularly for training and annual fitness tests, with routes to specialise - from the Strategic Escort Group that safeguards nuclear movements to firearms instruction, police medic roles or dog handling.

In West Cumbria, where Sellafield and its supply chain shape daily life and skilled work, a steady pipeline of trained AFOs strengthens the everyday security picture as major sites modernise and decommission. Recent NDA figures underline Sellafield’s national significance.

New starters come from Home Office forces, the armed forces and civilian life - and many had relatives on the sidelines this week. For anyone considering the job, the CNC directs applicants to its Jobs website for details on AFO roles and training.