Sabrina D'Amelio

I can honestly say I love this job. The team around me really make it special.

This is a career change for me. I used to work in drug and alcohol management and manage hostels for homeless people. This often involved partnership working with detectives. I would always think “I wish I could do that job” and was inspired by their work.

I found that the role fits in well with my lifestyle, so I finally took the plunge and applied.

Daily tasks

I currently work in the Rape and Serious Sexual Offence team (RASSO), as with any detective team, everyday day is so different.

The initial response team do the preserving of the scene and the golden hour investigation. We then come in to see what has been done and what we need to do.

It could mean we are doing house to house visits to gather intelligence, request and look through CCTV, anything that identifies a victim, witness, or suspect.

It’s fun to be professionally inquisitive. We need to find out what we do know, what we don’t know and what we need to know and piece things together. It’s like working on a big, intricate puzzle.

Safeguarding is another part of our daily routine. It’s essential. The victim is at the heart of all our investigations, and we work with them throughout and follow their wishes. Whether it’s a prosecution or getting them out of the situation or something else.

I can honestly say that RASSO is an amazing team of detectives. The victim care is incredible and I’m so pleased that I get to work in this team. They are so knowledgeable, willing to help and really put the victim first. I am truly helping people.

Working for the police

It’s a great environment to work in. Each member is willing to help, share their knowledge and advice. There is no competition here, we all are working to the same goal and that’s protecting people and fighting crime.

I found the training process tough; I’m not going to sugar coat it. There is so much to learn, and you have to come into this knowing you need to work hard. There is a formal exam to take, which needs a lot of revision. But once that is done the other qualification is gathering and submitting evidence to show that you are a competent Detective Constable.

On the positive side there is a constant work satisfaction in policing. There is always something to learn, something new to experience and you see the result at the end. Whether it’s the high of the new thing you’ve learnt, helping a victim or getting a good result at court.

The more you learn, the better outcome there is for the victims and the people you are working with.

The hours can be tough, being in the police you have to be prepared to work the hours. But there is an incredible team to support you and we all chip in to make sure the job is done right and the victim gets the outcome they need.

Career

I’m not sure where I want to go in my career. I’m still new, I want to try everything and challenge myself. I know that I loved the criminal investigation department, it was an amazing start to my career and my current role in RASSO has a wide range of jobs which is improving my attention to detail and I know is making me a better detective.

There are so many opportunities and I want to try everything so I can decide what area is right more me and can use my passion to its best ability.

I feel comfortable and supported in Bedfordshire Police. The senior leaders are approachable and willing to help and do their best to help.

You’ve got to get out of your comfort zone in the police and for me that is the best part of the role. I get to challenge myself and get the high of proving to myself I can do it.

If you are thinking about it, join. If you’re willing to put effort in and hold integrity, have a passion for helping victims, fighting crime, join us. Be prepare to give it your all.

I have no regrets from joining. My life has changed a lot, I am learning so much, and there is so much satisfaction out of the job. There are lots of opportunities to achieve things from the start to finish of the career.