Podcasts

Discover the realities of policing through this series of podcasts where Neil, of Northumbria Police and London’s Metropolitan Police Service, shares his experiences and insights. 

The mid 1970's, was not so different to today in as much as attending university offered no guarantee of a job and I consciously elected to find work rather than risk the uncertainty of three years in academia and primarily because I actually had no idea what I wanted to study for. There have been times when I have regretted that decision in terms of the 'experiences' I missed out on, but not in any detrimental way. I applied for one job, with a bank and to my surprise got the job, where I worked diligently for a couple of years. From the outset I felt that my personality was not really suited to another 40 years behind a counter screen …

… It happened there was a  drive by Northumbria Police to recruit officers, which immediately caught my imagination. A deep inner sense of seeking and upholding justice and wanting to defend those who couldn't help themselves was and remains the reason for me applying and becoming a Police Constable in January 1979. In the same year I met a lovely young lady and three years later we married and now thirty-four years later we still are!

The report that captured Neil’s imagination and making a little bit of history in Northumbria …

Responding to the needs of the community, building alliances and consulting the public …

Our basic training was at a former Air Force base in North Yorkshire and whilst we didn't know any different, it was a throwback to a militaristic style of teaching and square bashing which we all reluctantly endured. It does seem that what we went through was at the opposite end of the spectrum compared to current training methods. 

Catching the bad guys with little or no equipment and modern improvements to officer safety …

At 21 years old, I quickly established myself as a young Constable and was determined to progress up the ranks, with one eye on the future and the lure of a pension that still lay 30 years ahead. I enjoyed the variety of tasks, the excitement it offerred, the sport and frankly finding another world on my doorstep that I never knew existed beforehand and that contrasted so much from my own background. 

Dealing with complaints and investigating fellow officers …

Working with other security organisations: from an uneasy start to a cosy alliance …

My thirty year career was unexpectedly shared between Northumbria Police and through unanticipated circumstances ended in London's Metropolitan Police Service.

Making the move to London and the big differences policing the big city …

Changes to policing over a 30 year career …

In conclusion, all that happened in those intervening years have provided me with a huge sense of satisfaction. Catching the bad guys and bringing them to justice was only one part of it, but getting an insight into life in the bigger picture has been priceless.       

Important qualities and advice for becoming a police officer today …