Profiles - Police officers

I joined the force aged 19 in 1994 as a police constable and I have never looked back. I was drawn to policing from an early age, as my older brother was an officer. I was fascinated by his experiences, and the more I learned, the more my desire to join the service developed.

Being within the service has surpassed my expectations and I have thoroughly enjoyed the time I have worked across Warwickshire. I have had the privilege to work in a variety of different roles, both in and out of uniform, which has allowed me to help people, something which is close to my heart. I have always been encouraged and supported in my career, which has allowed me to progress through the ranks.

The best thing about working for Warwickshire Police is that we have a strong family feel and I would encourage people to become part of our family.

My career started off in the Metropolitan Police before transferring to Warwickshire Police in 2015. During my 8 years as a police officer, I have carried out a variety of roles in frontline policing, vulnerability and proactive crime teams. I was attracted to a career in the police as it gives you a wide variety of challenges that can test you physically but also mentally. You will meet people at their very best, but you will also see people who are in real need of support and by showing compassion and empathy, you can help them through what can be a really difficult time.

As an officer this is a role like no other and every day is a different set of challenges but a career in which you will seek great reward from.

In 2018 I was promoted to Sergeant on a response team in North Warwickshire, having responsibility for 25 officers in a busy policing area. It was during that time I moved into our Domestic Abuse Unit taking over responsibility for high-risk complex investigations into domestic abuse across South Warwickshire. This was an extremely challenging role however this role enabled me to support vulnerable victims of crime and prevent further harm being caused. At the start of 2020, I moved into a newly formed Vehicle Crime Team having responsibility for vehicle crime across the county and leading a proactive team in preventing and detecting vehicle theft alongside arresting high-profile offenders. This team is what many would relate the police service to, seeing officers out catching prolific offenders in high-speed vehicles. However, as the Sergeant that led the team, it wasn’t just about arresting people, it was about diversion and prevention. The team were also tasked with turning young people away from exploitation and committing offences and introducing them to our partners who would work on diversion routes.

In 2020 I was promoted to Inspector working on the front line with our response teams across Warwickshire. I also hold the portfolio for the Special Constabulary and Student Officers. My current role is one of the most enjoyable I have held because you see new officers joining the service with the drive and ambition to really want to make a change in society and this is refreshing to see.

Joining as a new Police Officer is challenging, working shifts, managing assignments, and most off all physically and mentally challenging. Warwickshire Police is a forward-thinking organisation that emphasises leadership and development as its main objectives for its staff. Warwickshire Police have given me the skills, training, support, and guidance I have needed to achieve what I have done in a short space of time. If you want to work hard and get rewarded, then now’s the time to start your journey with Warwickshire Police.

 

 

I was brought up and raised in the Leamington area, and had a number of encounters with the police service, initially a child as a victim of a burglary and then later with officers who were serving at the time. I had a very positive encounter with the police both times.

I joined the organisation in 2001. I started on patrol, then went on to be a community beat officer, then changed onto a local crime fighting team. From there, I was on a Safer Neighbourhood Team (SNT), passing my sergeant's exam and returning to patrol as a sergeant.

When I have been able to make a difference to someone's life and had a positive impact upon them, which has happened frequently with the SNT, is a very rewarding feeling.

It's a very self-rewarding experience, you deal with a whole spectrum of incidents and events which help you grow as an individual. There are some very testing times but all that helps you grow.

I was born and bred in Warwickshire, so always wanted to complete my career within Warwickshire. I feel that it is still important to be part of the community that we work in, as it gives me a better understanding of the issues and requirements of the community. It is important to build strong relationships, but also to know local suspects, thus deterring crime even when off duty. I think working for a smaller organisation is more personal and allows you to develop better working relationships with your colleagues and the leaders of the organisation.

I started my career with South Wales Police, where my ambition was to work within the Traffic Department. I achieved this after five years of service and thoroughly enjoyed my role within this department. I eventually transferred to Warwickshire Police in 2006, where I joined the Safer Neighbourhood Team in Rugby. I was promoted to Sergeant in 2009, whereby I took up a role in Leamington Spa, then was assigned to the role of Custody Sergeant. Following three years in this role I moved back to Rugby on Patrol.

My current role is a Custody Sergeant at Leamington Spa, where I have been for the past couple of years. I have passed my Inspector's exam, but as I am currently enjoying my role in custody, I have not moved forward with promotion at this time.

The very best thing about my job is being part of a team - the ability of a group of individuals to work together to achieve a positive outcome for the community and the organisation, and having the desire to build strong relationships with colleagues and the community, thereby achieving justice for all.

Warwickshire Police is a small force with a big heart. It has a diverse community with both rural and urban policing, which allows officers to experience an array of different types of incidents and objectives. It has experienced many changes over the years which have been positive, such as moving towards mobile policing, which allows officers to spend more time in their communities. Warwickshire Police is a forward-thinking organisation that emphasises leadership and development as its main objectives for its staff. If you're willing to work hard you will feel the benefits of being part of Warwickshire Police.

My career with Warwickshire Police began in 1999. I was a probationary constable at Stratford Police Station until I joined the force's ANPR team as an advanced driver/traffic patrol officer in 2003. This was an enjoyable role which ranged from dealing with run of the mill traffic offences, stolen vehicles up to dealing with organised criminal teams. When the team was disbanded 12 months later, I remained in a traffic officer role at Greys Mallory, where I enjoyed a great team mentality dealing with our more serious road traffic incidents and sadly fatal and serious injury road collisions.

I was a Family Liaison officer for six years, supporting bereaved families through fatal investigations; a rewarding, humbling, saddening and demanding role. I remained in this role until force reorganisation in 2011, when my unit was absorbed into local policing and the demands that are involved in day to day policing... a culture shock for a traffic cop!

Around this time, due to personal reasons, I transferred to Sussex Police, where I experienced a very different working and policing environment, but returned to Warwickshire in 2014. I was welcomed back by former colleagues and those that had not met me before, but were willing to learn from my experience. The alliance with West Mercia Police was in full swing at this time and I appreciated the support of my colleagues, especially the new ones that had never experienced 'the old ways'. In this period, I was rewarded with a superintendent's commendation for my work in locating a vulnerable missing person and using the advanced first aid skills I had acquired in Sussex to save her life.

In early 2014, I applied for and successfully gained a role in the driver training department. Now at 19+ years' service, I am giving back to a career that I have enjoyed, been depressed by, has completely changed me but would not change for a moment. I have gained lifelong friends and laughed with colleagues, at other times I have dealt with horrific situations and cried at human suffering in the extreme.

Warwickshire Police is going through another period of change and old hands like me will always recite the old tales and tell about how much better it was 'back in the day', but two decades ago, I heard those tales and moans and in 20 years' time the new recruits will be telling theirs!

I have always wanted to be a police officer. Warwickshire's ethos of a smaller force where everyone knows your name really appealed to me.

I joined Warwickshire Police and started as a probationer at Coleshill/Atherstone Police station. After passing my probation, I remained at Coleshill Police station and did four years on response, before applying for a job on the Dog Section. I was fortunate enough to be selected, and have spent the last 11 years on the Dog Section.

Here at Warwickshire Police, I have made friends for life. Even when working long hours, single crewed, I know I'm never on my own. We all look after each other. I get to work with my best friends, who are always happy and never talk back or complain, although they are not very good when it comes to paperwork!

I am an Intelligence Officer with the Regional Organised Crime Unit, and have worked with Warwickshire Police since July 2013.

I was diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) in September 2017, aged 26. ASD is the name for a range of similar conditions, including Asperger syndrome, which affect a person's social interaction, communication, interests and behaviour; it is a developmental disability.

I had always felt as though I didn't fit in, always struggled to make and maintain friendships, had poor timekeeping and always seemed to say the wrong thing. Growing up was incredibly lonely. I was described as 'quirky' and though academically I did very well, I struggled to physically keep up with college and university and had a lot of absences. Despite this, I walked away with a 2.1 honours degree in Forensic and Investigative Studies in 2013.

I had always had a strong interest in policing and the law and I joined Warwickshire Police as a staff member and Special Constable while coming to the end of my studies. After hearing a colleague describe her experiences with her autistic child, I started to study the condition and identified strongly with a lot of the characteristics and behaviours being described. I didn't act on this for fear of being ridiculed for a couple of years, until I was eventually prompted to see my GP in 2016 following a series of unfortunate personal events.

It took 12 months to achieve an official diagnosis through the NHS and I was supported by my partner, my colleagues and my line manager. My motivations for wanting a diagnosis stemmed from a desire to be accepted, and to accept myself; I needed to give myself a break and having a diagnosis allowed me to understand myself in a way I never had. This meant less pressure and allowed me to make the necessary adaptations to avoid meltdowns, and burn out and give me the confidence that I was severely lacking at this point.

As dramatic as it sounds, my entire life suddenly made sense. After engaging with the force health and safety assessors, I was given access to reasonable adjustments and was massively reassured by how understanding and knowledgeable they were about autism. They understood that autism was more than struggling to socialise: it affects everything, including executive functioning - the things that stop you bumping into things, what makes you be on time to work, how material feels, how loud seemingly insignificant noises can be, and how to plan and prioritise.

Now, with just a few adjustments I am able to function more efficiently and feel confident in my work and my ability. I do not see my being autistic as something that disables me - without being autistic, I would not be able to process large amounts of data and remember it all, I wouldn't spot details, patterns and trends in jobs I am dealing with, I wouldn't be able to recall VRMs and dates of births from memory and I wouldn't have the ambition to try as hard.

A colleague told me about the National Police Autism Association and it has been a relief to share my experiences with other police officers and staff from all over the country who also have autism or know someone with autism. I have since become the Force Co-ordinator of the National Police Autism Association and I am now involved in trying to develop a way forward with regards to how we deal with autism as a community and raising awareness.

I joined Warwickshire Police, as I love the county and the variations of both the towns and the countryside, and wanted to work in an area in which I've enjoyed living.

I was a special constable with Warwickshire before joining as a PC and working from Leamington on the response shift. I then worked at both Kenilworth and Warwick, before joining the dog section in 2009, where I have been ever since.

The best thing about my job is working with the dogs to catch the criminals and help the most vulnerable people. Warwickshire Police is a small but great force to work for, and I would never move from here. It's very much like a big family.