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We are opening our doors to the public to showcase the vast range of careers in policing.
On Saturday 9 September, Bedfordshire police headquarters will be open for the public to come along and ask questions to break down any barriers that might have stopped them from joining.
Chief Inspector Chris Simmons said: “We have lots of roles available to suit everyone’s ambition and career goals. We also have routes in that don’t require any formal qualifications, which opens the door to a career in policing to a lot of additional people who are passionate about helping people in need and who want to keep our county safe.
“We have a police officer route where will we fund your degree whilst you earn a full-time wage, we have two intensive detective programmes where you can be a detective in as little as two years, and we have police officer and PCSO routes requiring no formal qualifications.
“There are plenty of staff roles as well, from taking 999 calls and dispatching police units, to processing crime reports as well as in teams like finance and HR. So, if you have always wanted to join policing in some way or you’re not sure what you want to do, but are looking for the next step in your career, pop by and speak with us.”
There will be a host of specialist units available at the open day including firearms teams, dog handlers, detectives and the cyber unit. The force is keen to hear from anyone interested in a new career.
PC Ethan Vincent joined Bedfordshire Police after leaving the army.
“I decided to move into policing because I wanted to make a difference in my hometown. It’s been a fantastic change and I’m really enjoying the variety and opportunities that I’ve had so far into my career.
“I’ve been directly involved in some large-scale jobs and critical incidents and have helped evacuate planes at London Luton Airport, deal with major road traffic collisions, disrupt violent street gangs and drug dealers, and even worked with counter terrorism and special branch. I wanted to work in Luton from the start, mainly due to the wide range of incidents and the frequency of them as well as having a very diverse community. As a kid watching ‘Traffic Cops’ the best chases and pursuits were in Luton, and I would be lying if I said this wasn’t a contributing factor to my decision!
“I think all ex-military are expected to want to go to the armed policing side of things, and might even be drawn or pushed towards it, because it seems a natural fit. Personally, I enjoy response policing and I think it has more to offer me. Longer term I’m hoping to look at a career in the roads policing unit. I’m also happy to stay as a PC for a while and not rush for promotion.”
The open day will take place on Saturday 9 September between 10am and 4pm at Bedfordshire Police headquarters. There is no need to book, turn up throughout the day.
Learn about the roles or start your application by visiting the careers section and read more about PC Ethan’s journey on his blog.