“I realised early on that I couldn't work in an office environment full time. I wanted employment ‘outside’ and with more excitement, so I applied.” At 18 years old, Senior Sergeant Peter Given was one of 26 members from Squad 21 graduating in 1973 – the first squad to do so at the Victoria Police Academy. Fifty years on, Peter's back at the Academy, today assisting in the development of probationary constables. Having worked in general duties, Dog Squad, Traffic, D24, Training, Prosecutions, Internal Investigations and Police Welfare, Peter says the incentive to continually develop self, both professionally and personally, through supported training and experience is one of the great benefits at Victoria Police. And in the 50 years since it opened, the Academy’s training program has advanced from “basically classroom and some on-site practical training” to a comprehensive structure shaped by technological advances and the diversity in the community, reflecting contemporary polici...