#MoreThanBlueLights | Hi, I'm Dan, I work for Bedfordshire Police as a Contact Operator in the Force Control Room (FCR ).
I grew up watching all the cop shows from The Bill and Line of Duty to Bodyguard and Bluelights.
I had always had an admiration for the work police do and it had always been in the back of my mind to give it a go.
In July 2023 I got the opportunity and did just that.
As cliché as it may sound... being able to help people in their hour of need is very rewarding. Our FCR sections (teams) work cohesively; between call handlers, radio agents and officers to coordinate the appropriate police response.
In the FCR we are supported by our management team, from senior management through to our Oscar 1 (FCR Inspector... AKA "the boss!"), Oscar 2 and the supervisors.
What I have learnt is there are big differences in real world policing and what the big and small screens depict.
Often you will see in cinema/TV; police officers and police staff running intelligence checks on information seemingly "willy nilly".
I found it reassuring that in the real world, all searches are auditable and there are a range of laws that mean all our officers and staff need to have a proper policing purpose (and be able to justify that) to look up information about people, vehicles and locations to name but a few.
I am currently in the process of becoming a special constable with Beds Police, a volunteer role with the same powers, scrutiny and responsibility as a regular police officer.
Having been on attachments with various departments, (which is a great benefit of working here) I have seen firsthand the "other side" of the job, what happens after I have taken, risk assessed and sent an incident for dispatch.
From our Crime Investigation Department to the Road Policing Unit, Custody and Patrol - being out with our officers has sparked my intrigue and I applied.
Being a special?is a great way of trying policing to see if it is for you. It is a volunteer position and the minimum requirement after training is only 16 hours a month.
I look forward to going back to some of those departments as a warranted special and get stuck in.
I would say to anyone thinking about a career in policing, go to our open days, talk to our officers and staff about their job. There are so many different roles in Bedfordshire Police.
The next open day is this Saturday 14 September - there’s no need to book – just turn up to Bedfordshire Police HQ (Woburn Road, Kempston) any time between 10am and 2pm.
Full details and to receive an event reminder?
?? https://orlo.uk/U9f3f