28 Education & Career
mojatu .com
POLICE OFFICER RECRUITMENT
OPENS IN SEPTEMBER 2017
Nottinghamshire Police has announced it is hoping to
recruit an extra 200 officers over the next year in a bid to
beef-up the thin blue line.
By Donna Jordan
The announcement comes as Nottinghamshire Police
prepares to launch its latest round of recruitment for
police constables in September 2017, where plenty of
new and exciting opportunities will be available.
The force will recruit a total of 200 officers in 2017/18
and has ambitions to recruit even more in 2018/19.
If you think you’ve got what it takes to become a police
officer, Nottinghamshire Police wants to hear from you.
Nottinghamshire Police Chief Constable, Craig
Guildford, said: “The force is giving the public the
chance to make a difference to the communities it
serves. We want to attract and retain talented people
with a diverse range of skills, experience and from a
range of backgrounds who are committed to making
us better at both what we do and how we do it.
“It’s a great time to be joining Nottinghamshire
Police. We’ve been recruiting for a range of roles, from
volunteer Special Constables to front-line regular
officers, and we look forward to that recruitment
continuing over the months to come.”
The Police and Crime Commissioner for
Nottinghamshire, Paddy Tipping, said: “I know that
people want to see more police officers and PCSOs on
their streets and neighbourhoods.
“They want to see a visible, easily accessible police
presence in their communities. I can understand that,
which is why I have been working hard with the force
to secure enough sustainable funding for an increase
in officer numbers.
“We hope to see the number of officers grow in
Nottinghamshire to a figure approaching 2,000.
However, that will depend upon November’s budget
and the outcome of discussions on the Police Funding
Formula on Government funding.”
Detective Sergeant Chanelle Whitney, who works at
the force’s Oxclose Lane Police Station, has worked
in a number of different areas such as Response,
Neighbourhood Policing, Professional Standards and
more recently as a Detective Sergeant on the Child
Abuse Investigation Department.
She applied to join the force in her final year of
university around seven years ago and hasn’t looked
back. She was recently selected to be accelerated on a
promotion scheme called ‘Fast Track’, something she is
very proud of.
She said: “It’s not something that I always wanted to
do, but I’m a people person so it was a natural choice
for me to apply. It took me 18 months to get through
the application process but it was definitely worth it.
I have no regrets about joining. I am somebody that
gets bored easily, so I really wanted a job that had lots
of variety. I haven’t been disappointed!
“The role of the police officer is always evolving. The
police service has to adapt to the changes in the
community, changes in technology and the type of
crime that is reported.
“I am one of a handful of officers in the force who have
attained a place on an accelerated promotion scheme
called ‘Fast Track’. I have been identified as a future
leader and will be promoted to the rank of Inspector
within two years. The application process involved
lots of exams and an assessment centre. I felt really
fortunate to get through the process.
“There is nothing better than knowing I’ve done a
good job and made a difference to the lives of the
people I come across. I pride myself on being a positive
role model, I’m really lucky to be in a position where I
can encourage and motivate others.”
There are a number of seminars due to take place
around Nottinghamshire where anyone interested
in becoming a police officer can find more about the
vacancies and learn more about the applications.
DS Whitney believes that if you are offered an
opportunity to join the police, don’t turn it down and
encouraged anyone half-thinking of a career within
policing to look for the support that’s on offer.
She added: “If you think that you could be interested in
a policing career seek out a mentor. There are a number
of police officers that are willing to help and support
people through the application process. They can offer
guidance and a real insight into the role they do.”
Nottinghamshire Police wants to recruit talented
people with a diverse range of skills and experience
who are committed to making a difference to the
communities that we serve.
Recruiting from the widest pool of people will mean
we recruit individuals who can speak other languages,