“I joined Hertfordshire Constabulary, via the National Graduate Leadership Programme, in the summer of 2020 and have been working as a neighbourhood officer in the Northern Policing Safer Neighbourhood Team. I have been invovled in a variety of work since joining the force, for example I have dealt with processing suspects through custody, interview and bail, attending neighbour disputes, working on high-visibility patrols and stop and searches, supporting victims of crime, and building case files following shoplifting incidents.

“I have also been working closely with a local mental health facility, to address a number of issues and build a stronger relationship between the hospital and the force.

“We were receiving a high volume of fake calls to the force control room from patients at the hospital – at one point it was over 50 calls in one month – and this was putting a strain on police resource, as we do need to investigate all calls that we receive until we’re certain there’s no risk involved.

“I set up meetings with managers and staff at the hospital to identify the patients who were making fake calls and together we were able to provide them with extra support – and subsequently we saw a drop in fake calls.

“There were also a couple of incidents where staff members were assaulted and this clearly needed addressing. I worked with the hospital to ensure that all staff were aware of the processes we’d put in place if they did need police support, as ensuring staff safety is critical. I set up a number of drop-in sessions to answer any questions they might have about the police and our reporting processes, and I created a number of useful resources to help streamline reporting. 

“It’s certainly a challenging and interesting area, as patients’ mental health has to be taken into account during any investigation, so I’ve worked closely with partner agencies. Ultimately we must enforce the law but also offer support to vulnerable members of the public who need it, and this is where the hospital and the police can work together to protect both victims and offenders.

“This is still an ongoing piece of work but I have been able to build stronger relationships between the force and the facility’s rehabilitation and recovery services. I have since been invited to sit in on a number of meetings at the hospital to directly gather information for police reports and I have been involved in safeguarding and supporting individuals at the hospital. I have received positive feedback from staff members about the work we’ve put in motion.”