Force bids bid farewell to 21/22 interns

On Thursday 11 August, the force celebrated its interns and bid them farewell as they return to their final year at university.

For the past year, the interns have embedded themselves within the force and with different policing teams. They have been helping their teams progress projects, conduct research and contribute to work that will ultimately help the people of Bedfordshire.

Bedfordshire Police runs a sandwich year placement for university students so they can gain real world working experience, gain an insight into policing and make a difference to the people of Bedfordshire and policing teams.

They have worked in a range of roles including the offender management unit, professional standards department, cybercrime, mental health unit, the force executive team and more.

Sarah Caves, Internship Lead, said: “Many of our interns join with an interest to see what happens behind closed doors at the force and they leave being fascinated by what our teams do and achieve that often isn’t seen by the public.

“We’ve seen some of our interns return in force or to their local force. It’s great to see that this work inspires these young, bright and enthusiastic people to make a difference and work for the police.

“We hope to see them coming back in force as a full-time employee when they have completed their university courses.”

Some of the interns’ highlights include working with the dogs unit and helping with dog training, networking with people within force and working with different communities that we serve, as well as experiencing ride-alongs to gain an insight into different policing teams.

Ellie, one of this year’s interns said: “Throughout my time with Bedfordshire Police, I have been lucky enough to get to do lots of different attachments. I have enjoyed every single one and they have all shown me the variety of career paths you can take within the police.

“I can honestly say that this internship has exceeded all my expectations and I have loved every minute of it. I have met so many amazing people throughout my time with Bedfordshire Police, including everyone in my department who made me feel part of the team from day one. 

“I look forward to returning to start a career with Bedfordshire Police once I have finished with university.”

The force is due to welcome their newest set of interns in September for 22/23 sandwich year placement. Keep an eye on our website and social channels to find out when applications open.