The death of Constable Matthew Hunt was front of mind for the 38 new police officers graduating on Wednesday.
They paid their respects to Hunt as they graduated with a minutes' silence to mark his death.
Police Commissioner Andrew Coster welcomed the recruits but with a warning - their job is not without risk.
"I cannot stand here and tell you otherwise," he said.
Hunt was shot during a routine traffic stop in Auckland on Friday - the first officer to die on duty in 11 years.
"The memory of Constable Matt Hunt weighs heavily today," Police Minister Stuart Nash told the graduates on Wednesday. "In this very gym on the 8th of March in 2018, I spoke at the graduation of Wing 312. Matt was part of that cohort."
For this cohort, Hunt's death was in the front of their minds, especially for Const Sean Fabling. He'll be stationed in Waitemata - the same district as Hunt.
"It's a bit of a shock, especially seeing as it's been 11 years since the last one [death] and it just happened to happen in our last couple of weeks here [at college]," Fabling told Newshub.
Officers on Wednesday wore a huia pin for their fallen colleague - it symbolises the loss of someone special to police.
And for Coster, his first full graduation in charge took on extra meaning.
"You never want to face a situation like this as Commissioner," he said. "It's incredibly sad that the first graduation is that but it's right that we remember him."
They'll remember Hunt again when his name is added to the memorial wall - with the names of all officers who died while on duty.
