Transferees
Jeanette, Detective Constable
"I’d wanted to be a Police Officer since I was about eight or nine. My Uncle was in the force and it totally fascinated me. When I was 19, I applied to a number of forces around the country and Essex Police accepted me. It meant a move down from Glasgow, but I was so keen that I didn’t hesitate.
That was 17 years ago – and for the last 14 years I’ve been working as a Detective: first with Essex Police and now with Hertfordshire Constabulary. I moved to Herts in April 2008, a decision that was mostly inspired by the location. I live in Stevenage and my children go to school here in Hertfordshire so it made sense to work here too.
Hertfordshire is a great place to live. It’s a really pleasant county and the people are so friendly – as a Detective I seem to get a good reception everywhere I go. There’s also huge variety on offer. It’s the kind of county that offers almost everything – beautiful countryside, lovely villages, big towns and excellent transport into London.
It wasn’t only the location that attracted me though. I’d also heard some really positive things about Hertfordshire Constabulary itself. Both my sister and my husband work for the force, so I already knew that it was a welcoming place. I would never have moved otherwise.
To be honest, I was very realistic about the change – I know that the grass isn’t always greener and that the day-to-day job would be much the same. But I’ve been pleasantly surprised by how friendly the people are here. I always feel valued for the hard work I put in – and whilst the targets are still a big thing, the pressure feels slightly less.
I also love that I’m back to doing what I was trained to do. I’m really enjoying the investigative role that I have here – and the chance to get involved in high profile cases. As well as GBH and robbery cases, I’ve investigated serious crimes and arson too. One recent success saw us getting a confession from one man for more than 17 offences which was a real achievement. It means that there’s plenty of variety and I feel like I’ve got my old enthusiasm for the job back!
It’s definitely somewhere that I see myself staying, not only because of the location but because there are so many opportunities to move up and progress. At the moment though, I’m more than happy where I am, and my part-time hours mean I’m able to spend time with my family too."
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