On the recruits' first day on the job, they caught a shoplifter red handed. 

The North has the cream of the crop of this year's 19 recruits, securing the dux and the runner-up dux to patrol the streets. 

Sophie Malone, Nicholas Burt, Ellie Davidson and Joe Duffy were on the beat for the first time on Wednesday. 

Constable Duffy has returned to the state from living on the mainland. 

"I'm from here, and moving back I just really wanted to settle with a young family and establish a career and that was my main reason for entering the force," he said. 

It is a career change for him, as he had previously been working in vocational training. 

"So far it's been very exciting and challenging. The academy was a greater challenge than I expected, but it's been exciting and a great learning experience." 

Constable Davidson is originally from Hobart, but moved interstate to study criminology before moving back to train at the academy.  

"I went overseas and came back and started thinking about what I wanted to do and policing jumped out at me. I've been thinking about it for a while and I finally jumped in and did it," she said.  

Constable Burt is a born and bred Launcestonian.  

"I was trying to figure out the best way to stick around here and the best job to do, as cliched as it sounds, to give back a little bit," he said.  

"This jumped out straight away. I started applying a few years ago and here I am." 

All three agreed it had been interesting so far and they had enjoyed being out on the streets. After a short introduction on Wednesday morning, the recruits were keen to get into the thick of it.

"We were out straight into it and doing things pretty much as soon as we met," Constable Duffy said.