Bedfordshire Police officers and staff awarded long service and Chief Commendations during ceremony

Police officers and staff were recognised at Bedfordshire Police’s Long Service and Chief Commendations ceremony on Monday (21 November).

The event held at Bedfordshire Police Headquarters in Kempston celebrated outstanding work and marked the long service of 11 police officers and staff who started their careers more than 20 years ago.

A career in policing brings a lot of personal and professional satisfaction and development which is why people stay with it for 20 plus years. Whether officers love the role they are in and want to stay or if they want to move departments or climb the ranks, there is plenty to learn and to keep them gaining new experiences and knowledge.

There aren’t many careers out there that allow its staff to stay in the same organisation but receive training and development to move into new roles or departments.

Acting Chief Constable Trevor Rodenhurst presented the Long Service Medals and commendations to nine further officers, members of staff and members of the public in his first ceremony as Chief Constable for Bedfordshire.

He said: “It was a great pleasure to be able to award and thank officers and staff for the first time as Bedfordshire Chief Constable. It’s wonderful to see so many officers and staff being with us and contributing to the safety of people in Bedfordshire for 20 years.

“During the ceremony we heard of outstanding contributions to protecting the public and heard of incredible career histories. It’s also a great opportunity to thank the real unsung heroes – their families who give so much support behind the scenes.”

It is a difficult environment as we see and experience things some people may never see in their lifetime. But there is also a lot of support available at Bedfordshire Police, whether it’s within teams, with senior leaders, the wellbeing team, or external organisations.

We are also following the journey of a couple of our student officers so if you are curious about the training process, check out our YouTube channel.

To find out more about the role and how to apply, visit our careers page.