Police Constable Gwyneth Jones graduated from the University of Durham with a degree in Geography. She reflects on her decision to join policing via Police Now’s National Graduate Programme, the impact she has had since being in the role and her advice for graduates who are still considering their career options.
Who are Police Now?
Police Now’s central mission is a more representative police service. Their National Graduate Programme trains graduates to become neighbourhood police officers and reduce crime and anti-social behaviour. Gwyneth says:
“I quickly resonated with Police Now’s mission, values and vision for future policing. As a people person myself, and someone who cares about helping others, making communities feel safer and bringing offenders to justice, I felt that Police Now supported me to fulfil those goals.”
Training and development
After receiving a final offer for Police Now’s two-year programme, participants will train at a residential academy for eight weeks, where they will receive specialist training from tutors and support from a Performance Development Coach. Gwyneth shared:
“The training I received during my academy was brilliant. The academy was very well organised; we had a clear timetable which outlined class sessions, where we learnt about policing laws, legislation and policies. In our free time, we would get to socialise with other candidates and/or revise. The academy also provides you with accommodation and food throughout your training, which helps minimise the stress of travelling and cooking and allows you to fully enjoy the academy.”
“During the programme, I was supported by my Performance and Development coach. These sessions with my coach were helpful reminders of what strengths I had as a police officer, as well as what skills I could bring to policing and could help me progress with my career. Police Now’s programme encouraged me to become a confident leader, improved my problem-solving skills and taught me to reflect and analyse my actions to continually improve in my role as a neighbourhood police officer.”
Why neighbourhood policing?
Being a neighbourhood police officer is about listening to and understanding individuals and coming up with long-term solutions to issues in the community you serve, such as knife crime and violence against women and girls. Gwyneth wants graduates to know that they can bring a diverse set of skills to this role, including leadership, problem-solving, decision-making, and communication.
“During university, you will have balanced your work with your social life, you will have worked with an array of people, and you will have shown determination by achieving your degree. All of which are skills and experiences that will support and equip you for a career in policing.”
“Within neighbourhood policing, you must manage your time effectively. It also requires engaging with your community to build their trust and confidence, recognising that your neighbourhoods will consist of diverse populations with unique backgrounds and life experiences. Teamwork is essential, as you and your colleagues will need to identify local issues and develop strategic responses to implement solutions designed to produce long-term, effective results.”
Building public trust
Becoming a visible leader within the community is just one example of what it means to be a neighbourhood police officer. Gwyneth shares how she worked with communities to build confidence and improve and change public perceptions of the police service:
“When I have interactions with members of the public, my main goal is to leave that interaction knowing I have left a good impression of the police and reinforced trust and confidence.”
“I used to arrange community meetings, which were opportunities for the public to come and talk informally with the police about local issues and problems. During these meetings, I was able to form first-name basis relationships with members of the community, provide them with a friendly and recognisable face, as well as share my work details with them so that they had a point of contact in future. This was well received by those that attended as they felt respected and heard by the police.”
Career progression
A career in policing offers you a wide range of training and development options. During your second year of the programme, you will have the chance to go on an external secondment or internal attachment, which will enable you to understand how another organisation or team is run. Gwyneth shares how her career has developed since completing the programme:
“I have transferred from Neighbourhood Policing to Response Policing, and this is because I wanted to experience another area of frontline policing. This has exposed me to attending a wider variety of incidents, working with a bigger team and improving my policing skills by getting enrolled on driving and taser courses. I have also had the opportunity to become a tutor, which means I can train and teach newly enrolled student officers and support them with the beginning of their policing careers. I want to give back to recruits and make sure they have a good first impression of policing.”
Advice for graduates
For those who have not considered a career in policing before, but are interested in pursuing a career that is varied and purposeful, Gwyneth shares some insights into her role:
“It is a unique job. If you are someone who doesn’t want a standard 9-5 or Monday-Friday job, who wants to be out and about every day, engage with a range of people from all different backgrounds, support victims of crime and bring offenders to justice and who wants to go home every day knowing you have done something good, then joining the police could be perfect for you.”
“You’ll get stuck in from the moment you join. The adrenaline rush and fulfilment of the job is like no other. The day you get your first arrest, experience your first blue light drive and help your first victim, you will feel such a sense of achievement.”
