I’ve been a met officer for 26 years . I’ve learned that no matter what I do , my action are likely to be both too much and oppressive , or not enough and not fit for purpose . I’ve learned the roles of teacher , social worker ( particularly after 3pm on most days and definitely on a Friday ) , nurse , counsellor , medic , road sweeper , and public speaker . I’ve learned patience , assertiveness , a mean set of first aid and self defence skills , and gained a very , VERY thick skin . I’ve been spat at , shot at , stabbed twice with a needle ( different occasions ) and kicked in the head by someone who sliced my skull open with the buckle from her shoe , which was covered in someone else’s blood , which meant a LOT of blood tests , emergency inoculations and an anxious 3 month wait for results. I book my annual leave for my two week holiday at least 18 months in advance and even then there’s no guarantee I’ll get it. Other leave has to be an absolute dire emergency if booked less than 6 weeks in advance . I’ve worked through the last 14 Christmases , and the last 13 New Years . My family know to tell me about family occasions up to 6 months ahead , and even then not to expect me . I regularly work 72 - 80 hour weeks , and then find my picture on social media because I’ve been seen daring to get a sandwich and a coffee at the local BP because we no longer have canteens , and we eat on the hoof , usually whilst filling in yet more paperwork on a tablet in an area with sod all 4g signal .
And yet and yet . I LOVE the actual nuts and bolts of policing . I still , even after 26 years of response policing , love helping people . That look of relief on people’s faces when we arrive at an incident and make a difference . When we find a lost child , or NPAS guides us through open space in the dark in freezing temperatures and locate someone with dementia. When our CPR has worked , and we manage to keep someone alive . When we help domestic violence victims become safe , when we catch violent robbers , or work as a team , put in a containment and catch 3 burglars as we did this week , bang to rights. It can be a boring , tedious , thankless , frightening job . It can also be exhilarating, satisfying , hilarious although sometimes unintentionally , and I still believe it’s one of the best jobs in the world , if you can take the strain .
Why not apply ? If you get in , happy day . For a lot of people it’s no longer a 30 year career . If you find it’s not for you , at least you’ve tried . But if you don’t , you’ll never know .