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International Women’s Day: Trainee Detective Constable Sama Patankar, Surrey Police

International Women’s Day: Trainee Detective Constable Sama Patankar, Surrey Police

Tuesday 8 March 2022

To mark International Women’s Day (Tuesday 8th March), we spoke to Trainee Detective Constable Sama Patankar of Surrey Police.

Sama Patankar was born in India and at the age of six moved to the North East of England. She went on to study at Goldsmiths, University of London, where she graduated with a degree in Politics before taking up a voluntary post in Kenya on behalf of the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO). In this role, she worked on environmental projects and worked to tackle poverty from the ground up.

Sama then worked in various other voluntary posts and gained experience specifically in mental health, taking up professional roles on the Government Troubled Family Scheme and gaining valuable experience with Adult Social Services in the Mental Health Team. After ten years working within community and voluntary roles, Sama decided to make a career change and train to become a detective constable in Surrey Police on Police Now’s National Detective Programme.

Trainee DC Sama Patankar, National Detective Programme, Surrey Police

Trainee Detective Constable Sama Patankar, who is now based in Staines said: “My experience to date has been driven by my desire to work with vulnerable members of our society and bring about change on a local level. I decided to begin my training as a detective constable to pursue this further, working on and leading investigations in order to safeguard members of the public.

“Since joining the force last year, I have spent time working on the force’s Domestic Abuse team and have just moved into the Criminal Investigations Department.

“My first ever arrest was for a lady suspected of poisoning an elderly member of her family. It felt very daunting at the time, the offender was arrested and all safeguarding processes were put in place. It was a carer who bought the case to our attention initially, and my colleagues and I worked closely with them to build the investigation and make the initial arrest. Highlighting again how important multi-agency working is and how much of a difference it can make to creating safer communities.

“I would definitely encourage women to join the force. Especially those from a range of different social and ethnic backgrounds – a diverse police force allows us to open up further communications with the community and public and break down existing barriers and perceptions.

“Being part of the policing family and a participant on the Police Now programme is an honour and an opportunity to continue my work in society in a very unique way, with a strong support network that drives you to be the best you can be.”

Applications are currently open for Police Now’s National Graduate Leadership Programme*, including for Surrey Police. Please click here

*At time of article publication.

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Media and Communications Assistant Manager

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Police Now | Devon & Cornwall Constabulary
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National Graduate Leadership Programme

Cohorts: 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020
No. of police officers enrolled: 8

National Detective Programme

Cohorts: —— —— —— —— 2019 2020
No. of police officers enrolled:

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