Expect the unexpected in #ResponsePolicingWeek

Message form Humberside Police:

What’s it like to work as a response officer?

You never know what each day is going to bring. Physically and mentally, it can be tiring at times, and there are lots of days where you don’t have time to stop and take a breath. It can be quite draining, but at the same time, very rewarding.

It’s just us doing our job, and in the simplest way, we’re keeping people safe. If you go into jobs with that in mind, you go home at the end of the day knowing that you’ve helped someone.

I personally feel that it helps knowing that I’ve made somebody’s life better, even if I’ve only played a small part on that day.

How would you describe a typical day?

A common shift for us involves a lot of travelling. We’re going to and from different places, and because of the large geographical area of the East Riding, we cover a lot of ground.

For example, the other day we went down to Easington, then from there we went to Hull Royal, and back to Bridlington. You’re looking at around a 100-mile round-trip just for a single job. That’s a typical distance that we can cover over any shift – we’ve nearly done that today already!

You’re always listening to your radio as well, even subconsciously. Sometimes, you go home, and you think you can still hear it in your ear, especially after listening to it for 12 hours every day! We’re always monitoring it to see what everyone else is doing, and to be aware in case they need any assistance.

This morning, we had an arrest attempt for a wanted person from out of force who is believed to be residing in Bridlington.

Then this afternoon, we assisted two of our colleagues after they made an arrest. We stayed behind to support the victim and gather evidence in the form of witness and victim statements, as well as CCTV to give us the best possible chance at prosecution.

What’s it like policing by the seaside?

Being so close to the seaside, it’s not like working anywhere else – I like going past the beach. It obviously brings its own challenges, but it is good.

The tourists we get throughout the summer pretty much double the population that we police, and we’ve got a small team compared to some of those in other areas of the force. We’re a close-knit team though and we make it work.