Beyond the call: celebrating patrol officers in Plymouth
As part of the national Response Policing Week of Action which takes place 24 – 30 June, police teams in Plymouth are celebrating the hard work and dedication of their patrol officers who respond to 999 and 101 calls.
Patrol officers tend to be the first officers to arrive on scene after an emergency call is made to the police. In May 2024 alone, patrol officers in Plymouth attended 1,271 emergency calls for help from the public.
Chief Superintendent Scott Bradley, who is currently leading police teams in Plymouth, said: “We are lucky to have so many highly skilled patrol officers in Plymouth. They are an amazing bunch of officers who are trained to deal with often tough, hostile and distressing situations.”
On Monday 24 June, Police Constable (PC) Ellie Nicholls and PC Ash Swinard, who have both worked on patrol for a number of years, were shadowed during part of their day shift to highlight the dynamic work of responding to emergency calls.
Over the course of the day, the officers were called to a number of 999 calls including antisocial behaviour in the town centre and an incident on the dual carriage way. They were also called to assist in the search of a young person who was reported to have left home in a suicidal state. Using their extensive knowledge of the area, as well as intelligence collected from the public, the officers were able to successfully locate the young person in just under an hour and get him the safeguarding support he needed.
Ch/Supt Bradley added: “This is just a very small snapshot into the day in the life of a patrol officer. Each call and every situation they find themselves in is different. Officers never know what they’ll be faced with when arriving on the scene of an incident. Their bravery and dedication to keep our communities safe shines through in everything they do; it is really inspiring to see the lengths our patrol officers go to to protect the public.”
“We really want to recognise the work of our patrol officers in Plymouth, celebrating the role they play in disrupting crime, protecting the public and keeping people safe. I’d like to say a heartfelt thank you to all of our officers who put their own safety on the line every single day to help those in our community who are most in need.”
Patrol officers must be prepared to deal with anything. From being the first at the scene of what will become a complex investigation or a life-endangering emergency, to diffusing confrontational situations and showing the utmost compassion in upsetting circumstances.
The role of a patrol officer can be physically, mentally and emotionally demanding. Throughout their career, an officer can deal with between 400-600 events involving serious trauma. These officers have been trained to deal with these situations, but they are still just regular people. Thanks to significant investment over the past decade, officers can access a range of wellbeing initiatives specially designed for their needs. This investment allows officers to access the support they need to continue delivering for their communities.
Policing is a career like no other. Our police officers show courage, teamwork and compassion on a daily basis to make a real difference to our communities. If you are interested in becoming a police officer for Devon & Cornwall Police you can apply now.
To start your application and find out more about the benefits of a career in the police, visit: Recruitment:- DC Police and Dorset Police - Dorset Police and Devon & Cornwall Police working in Partnership (recruitment-dcp-dp.org)
Photos from PC Nicholls and PC Swinard's patrol shift
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