Student officer profiles

Well, what can I say about policing? You will not be bored!

The great thing about response policing is that you will go into work not having a clue what you will get sent to from one minute to the next. For some people this is exactly why you joined and for others, it may be too much.

There will be moments on a shift where you are laughing your socks off with your co-workers and other moments on your shift where you put your own emotions aside to deliver news such as a death message. So, you quite literally become a human yoyo of emotions. The important thing to remember is why you started, why you worked your backside off to join up and why you show up each shift to do a job that many people just couldn't do. 

Of course, like any job, there are days that will be so challenging you can't wait for home time, to sleep, to eat! However, you will start to look at the world very differently and appreciate those simple things. It's a tough job but so enjoyable! 

Finally receiving my offer letter to join West Mercia Police as a police officer was one of the best feelings in the world. To know that all my hard work and preparation into applying for the role has paid off and to finally be in the seat to the start of my career is something I will never forget. Helping people and making a difference by being a police officer is something I have always wanted to do and although it is a long and difficult process, it is definitely worthwhile. Anyone wishing to join as a police officer should do it! It's something I haven't regretted.

I currently work on the Safer Neighbourhood Team and am based in Shrewsbury Town Centre in Shropshire.

I studied Criminal Investigations with Policing Studies with Investigative Management at De Montfort University in Leicester. I graduated in July 2019 and a week later, began my training with Police Now!

I knew that I always wanted to be a police officer (mainly from watching 24 Hours in Police Custody), which is why I studied the degree I did. I saw that the Police Now programme was recruiting and as it is a graduate scheme, I was just finishing my degree so I saw no harm in applying. I read through the mission and values and felt it was really important to uphold these, not only within the job but in everyday life. I knew that the police would be a lifestyle change, and I wanted this. I still uphold the Police Now mission and values now and try to ensure it is within my daily work and activity. Policing does seem to be always changing, and although it is a unique and different way into the job, there is a lot to learn from neighbourhood policing.

The training was very intense: it was six weeks long and we had long days, from 8am – 6pm, and were expected to do an hour of self-reflecting and studying after the day. Although there was a lot packed into it, working with other individuals from other forces made it enjoyable. I was able to ask questions one-to-one with a sergeant throughout the day, so my learning was always increasing. We had six shifts with Greater Manchester Police during the immersion period and we shadowed the officers to see what it was like on Response. I valued this time and really felt that this is the job I wanted to do, and felt very lucky to have this opportunity.

Being on the frontline for the first time was exhilarating. On the first blue light run I went on, I can recall myself feeling so excited because this is what I had worked so hard for, and I was finally here to help people. It is a strange feeling that I’m the one who runs towards the danger in opposition to running away, but being able to support and help some of the most vulnerable members of the community really feels like an honour.

In terms of ambitions for the future, I’m really enjoying the work I do at the moment. I’m learning a lot from experienced officers working on a Safer Neighbourhood Team in a town centre. I’ve been able to gain a lot of experience with arrests, stop searches and case files, so I feel very confident with my own decision-making and how to see a job out from the start to the end. I would like to increase my leadership skills, but focussing on the here and now is so important, I think. I would like to take any opportunity that comes to me in policing; I feel that within every department, there is some way to learn and adapt my skills as a police officer.

Police Now is a unique way into the police service. There is a large demand for neighbourhood policing and there is a lot to do within the role. I would recommend this to other applicants, as you can make what you want of the job; if you work hard, you get a lot out of it. I’m not afraid of the hard work and putting myself out there, so I am always willing to learn more each shift, and I think if you come into this process with a positive outlook and a willingness to learn, then you can only do well.

I am based at Hereford Police Station, joining West Mercia Police in February 2020 and joining my shift in May 2020. I applied to become a police officer because I wanted a challenging job where every shift is different. I wanted to study towards a degree whilst earning a salary, and doing a job that can change people’s lives.

The learning was very informative and interactive, even via distance learning due to COVID-19. Being an apprenticeship, a lot of skills have been learnt on shift from my Tutor Constable, and I find this is a good style of learning, in conjunction with the theory element from the university.

It was a nervous experience being out on the frontline of policing for the first time, but I was excited to be a part of it and work with my team. During COVID-19, we have been conducting patrols and engaging with members of the public to educate them about the COVID-19 rules, to which we have had a good response. I have enjoyed working with my tutor and my team, along with my time spent with OPU Traffic. I am looking forward to spending time with other departments throughout my study, gaining a better understanding of policing.

I joined the police in January 2020, at the age of 20, just before the COVID-19 pandemic. I currently work on Response covering Telford & Wrekin, but I have also had roles on Safer Neighbourhood Policing Teams (SNTs), covering Newport and Brookside in Telford.

Before joining, I worked as a delivery driver for a local supermarket and had begun an apprenticeship in accounting. However, several months in to my accounting apprenticeship, I realised that office work wasn’t for me and wanted a career that offered variety, progression and opportunity. Policing offered all of these and since joining I have never looked back.

Training was great; I made a great group of likeminded friends of all ages, whom I still see on a monthly basis. It has been a challenge at times, balancing degree work with policing work, but the job really does help put the degree in to practice.

My first day out on the job was a bit daunting as it would be with any job, but after getting over the initial nerves I settled in, with the team being very welcoming. I was involved in Response to many jobs, getting to put all my training in to practice for the first time, which was exciting.

I have really enjoyed the opportunity and freedom that policing offers. It’s like no other job. I have, from an early stage, been given opportunity to work on many different projects all over the force, and also co-ordinate my own operations to issues that I have personally identified. As an example of this, I was given the opportunity to coordinate an operation involving our SNTs, Local Priority Teams and British Transport Police to help identify and deter county lines supply to Telford on the train network. I look forward to planning future operations with other forces to tackle issues pertinent to the local areas in which I’m serving.

I am also looking forward to carrying out attachments in many other areas of the force, including CID and Roads Policing, so I can experience more career paths that poling has to offer,

I have found the Police Constable Degree Apprenticeship (PCDA) scheme to be a fun challenge. The challenge comes with the assignments; however, small but frequent work on these in and out of work helps combat the stress behind this. PCDA has offered me a great opportunity to really learn about the job and develop my career, allowing me to experience many other areas of the force that other officers haven’t had the opportunity to.

I spent six years serving in 1st Battalion The Rifles, with a tour of Afghanistan and a deployment during the COVID-19 to the Welsh Ambulance Service, which saw me deployed on the frontlines of the NHS working alongside paramedics on rapid response vehicles.

I was attracted to joining West Mercia Police after my deployment on the ambulance service, where I discovered a real sense of purpose to helping save lives. The opportunity provided to me by West Mercia Police was exactly the new and exciting challenge that will allow me to help people and spend more time with my family.

Coming from a military background has allowed me to adapt quickly to the ever-changing role of a police officer easily, and having the strong self-discipline and confidence instilled through the military has benefited me no end.

I am looking forward to getting out on patrol and engaging with the public, hoping to make a positive impact on the community I serve. Looking forward, I would love to become an Authorised Firearms Officer or join the Roads Policing team.

I am a Beat Manager for Brookside, Telford and gained an MSc Computing at Edge Hill University.

Training was extremely fun, sometimes stressful and intense, but provided a good grounding of legislative knowledge, and the opportunity to work on shift for a set of ‘field training’.

Frontline policing is daunting at first, because of the complex systems and jargon more than anything, but each lesson learnt fills in the puzzle a little more. The jobs are rarely boring.

I would like to refine my investigative skills in Protecting Vulnerable People or CID – and try not to distract myself by thinking too often about the steps which might follow.

I work with Shrewsbury Town Centre SNT, and gained my BA (Hons) Electrical Engineering degree from the University of Hull.

I never really knew what I wanted to do growing up. At college, I studied law and found it fascinating, but when it came to university I opted to study engineering, as my mother had been working for an engineering firm and I had always had a curiosity for how things worked. While I was at university, a friend of mine became a Special Constable in West Yorkshire, and for years my aunty had been a constable in Dorset. This, combined with my love for TV programmes such as Police Interceptors and Bodycam Squad, my interest in the law, and not wanting to have a job that was the same, day in day out, made me decide to try join the police.

In 2019, I saw the advertisement for Police Now. It was advertised to me as making a difference in a community and helping people. This really appealed to me, so my partner and I both applied to join Derbyshire Constabulary. I worked through the process, but due to Derbyshire filling up, I was finally offered a place in West Mercia. After a discussion with my partner, I accepted the offer - even though it would mean a move across the country - as it was the job I had been dreaming of doing for so long. The placement on SNT and the Police Now scheme offering a chance to solve a problem in an area, as opposed to just firefight policing, really appealed to me, especially because my degree relied heavily on solving problems.

Training was intense. Along with the others who were part of my cohort, I was put up at Manchester Metropolitan University for six weeks, and in that time we worked Monday – Friday, 8am – 7pm shifts. Most of this was inside learning the theory behind policing, the powers of a constable, stop and searches and many other topics. During this time, we also had one week at Hindlip Hall, where we undertook our Officer Safety Training. This was a lot of fun, but also a lot of work, as we had a lot to learn about how to stay safe and use the new kit we had been issued.

Straight after this, we spent a week with Greater Manchester Police on shift to show us the realities of policing. Finally, we had two further weeks at Hindlip to learn about West Mercia’s computer systems and complete some more training in a few areas our sergeants felt we could do with more support in.  Training was a very busy and hectic time, filled with stress, but it also allowed me to bond with my colleagues, as we would help each other out when we needed it and support each other when we were struggling.

Experiencing front line policing for the first time was an eye-opener. Despite all the training, I realised that there was still a lot to learn and that you need to be flexible in your action in the field, as it is no longer a nice controlled and safe environment like in the classroom or when you are training.

I would like to remain on SNT after my two years, however my long term goal is to attempt to join an Operational Policing Unit, as I am fascinated by traffic law.

I would recommend Police Now just because of the skills you learn in managing risk and managing your own time, as well as problem-solving.

I am a PC with the City Centre Team in Worcester. I studied at Worcester University, doing a foundation degree in Learning Support, followed by a BA (Hons) degree in Education Studies.

I applied for Police Now following a 10 year career as a PCSO with West Mercia Police. This gave me experience and an insight into neighbourhood policing and how varied, challenging and rewarding working within a Safer Neighbourhood Team can be. The Police Now mission of transforming communities and spending your probation as a Safer Neighbourhood officer is the main reason that I chose to join Police Now.

The training was long and challenging, a very different way to train as a police officer as it was more lecture-based learning than practical, although we did have these opportunities throughout the summer at the Police Now academy.

Experiencing frontline policing in Manchester during the field training was eye-opening. It is very fast-paced on Response in Manchester, but due to my previous role as a PCSO I already had a good insight into frontline policing.

I am looking forward to the secondment opportunity, which I plan to stay within West Mercia for and see how another policing unit works.

Police Now is an excellent opportunity and gives an insight into the communities in our local force area where we are based. As an SNT officer, you have the time to attend incidents, deal with neighbour disputes and address local issues.

I have always wanted to be a police officer, but I couldn’t apply when I left school due to joining age being 18. I ended up completing an apprenticeship in motor vehicles with a main dealer, where I progressed through the workshop. I then saw a vacancy at the police workshops, which I applied for and was successful. After working in the workshops, it reignited my passion for wanting join as an officer.

My staff role entailed carrying out the maintenance and repair of police vehicles to make sure the police vehicles are maintained to a high standard to allow officers to carry out their daily duties, with reassurance that the vehicles are roadworthy.

I am most looking forward to the challenges of dealing with and helping to prevent crime, and also meeting my fellow colleagues on my assigned shift and working together as a team.

I would like to apply my knowledge of motor vehicle to my policing role by joining the traffic team and helping enforce the rules of road and ensuring the members of the publics vehicles are in a roadworthy condition.

I would advise anyone who is looking to apply to be a police officer to do so! From the knowledge I have gained, from the application process to my interview, I have had the pleasure to meet police officers from different ranks and departments and I have gained inside knowledge into the life of a police officer.

The West Mercia Police Business Support and Transport teams were great to work for and the role was very rewarding, but I wanted to get back into a role that engages with the public. I love my job working within the fleet, but it’s just missing that public interaction I desire. Also, what a time to join as an officer, as the force is moving forwards recognising the requirement for more officers.

I am most looking forward to helping people and providing an excellent service. I take pride in what I do and I am driven by job satisfaction. I have learnt a lot of efficient and effective ways of working in my current role, so I hope to adapt these skills into my day-to-day policing role to provide assistance to those in need. I have also learned not to reverse police cars into low walls!

I believe there is a lot to consider before applying and you need to make sure it’s going to be for you, but if it’s what you want to do then go for it!! It’ll be a great time to join with the Chief Constable’s and PCC’s efforts to bring policing numbers back up across West Mercia.

I've been a police officer for 18 months. I almost fell into the role by accident. I first worked for the police as a call handler, then I became a PCSO, then I was in a civilian investigator role. After I'd experienced policing first hand, I wanted to do a bit more.

I was always interested in the police, but I never considered it as a career. I thought that I wouldn't enjoy it, but once I started to work as a PCSO, working with officers, I wanted to do it. At first I didn't think I had the right qualities, but the more I was in the organisation, and the more positive feedback I got, the more I thought 'I can do this'.

Definitely, the people are the best thing about my job. It's a cliché, but they really are like a second family. I didn't appreciate that aspect until I became an officer. You have to have one another's back, and you get to know who is good at what. It's amazing, you get to work together but we also do so much outside work - some people in the team are my best friends, and they really are friends for life. I know it sounds strange, but we have the best fun, and I can honestly say that there's not a day when I've come to work and not belly laughed.

I never knew what I wanted to do career-wise. I was 28 when I became an officer, and now I feel like I've found my way in life. There's so many possibilities, and I can progress. It keeps it exciting. An added bonus is that I'm nearer to my family in South Wales.

Simon is 36 and has been in training as a student police officer for around a year. In this podcast, he talks to PCC John Campion about police recruitment and training and his aspirations for his future. Simon tells of his experience of joining the police force, training with dyslexia and the best routes for entry. Simon, who spent his early career as an electrician, also explains how one single episode in his life gave him the inspiration to join up as a Special Constable and later, the will to apply four times to become a regular officer with West Mercia Police.

You can also listen via Apple podcast or Spotify.