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Police Now officers reach senior ranks: Chief Inspector Katie Bradley, Alumni Spotlight

Police Now officers reach senior ranks: Chief Inspector Katie Bradley, Alumni Spotlight

Thursday 21st November 2024

A uniformed Chief Inspector Katie Bradley stands facing a police horse, also wearing policing gear, with Emirates Stadium visible in the background - lit up at night
Chief Inspector Katie Bradley with police horses at Emirates stadium

Katie Bradley is one of the first officers recruited and trained by Police Now to achieve promotion to chief inspector rank, alongside several other programme alumni across policing nationally. Katie is also on track to become one of the first Police Now officers to reach superintendent rank, having been accepted onto the College of Policing’s Fast Track programme.

Katie joined the Metropolitan Police Service in 2016 via Police Now’s National Graduate Leadership Programme and has since gone on to make an impact across London, including working with the Royal London Hospital to improve police support for victims of serious violence. Following her project, the hospital saw the lowest revictimization rates compared to other trauma centres in London.

Katie is now a neighbourhood policing chief inspector in Lambeth, leading a team of officers in their work to create a safer London and build public trust and confidence in policing.

She tells us more about her career and proudest moments in policing, as part of Police Now’s ‘Alumni Spotlight’ series below.

Alumni Spotlight: Chief Inspector Katie Bradley

“I joined the Metropolitan Police Service in 2016 on Police Now’s two-year neighbourhood policing programme – the National Graduate Leadership Programme. I had never considered a career in the service before I came across Police Now but I quickly fell in love with policing.

“I was mostly posted as a neighbourhood officer in Westminster whilst on the programme and have since worked in a wide variety of roles and teams, including Response, Custody, and Integrated Offender Management. I have also worked at events as part of the Public Order team and at Police Now’s academy, returning to train new recruits on the programme.

“I look back fondly on my time on the programme. I worked on a wide variety of cases and supported members of the community, such as working closely with partner agencies to successfully help a vulnerable man who was being ‘cuckooed’ by exploitative criminals. Neighbourhood policing gave me the opportunity to embed myself in the community, where I could tackle crime and anti-social behaviour, support vulnerable victims, and take action against those who break the law.

“I went on to work across Tower Hamlets and Hackney boroughs in a variety of roles, alongside some amazing colleagues.

“Whilst in Hackney, I set up a team at the Royal London Hospital – the busiest trauma centre in Europe – to look at how the police could better support victims of serious violence and provide exceptional and informed care. Following the implementation of the team, the hospital saw the lowest revictimisation rates compared to other trauma centres in London. This impact was seen across all age groups at the hospital, with the biggest difference for victims aged 25 years or younger. I believe the team offered an opportunity to change how the police work with those who have experienced trauma and seeing the impact of that work was one of my proudest moments in policing.

“I was also offered the opportunity to do my master’s degree at the University of Cambridge in applied criminology and police management, with my final year thesis focusing on the Royal London Hospital work. This looked at how we can be data-driven and take an evidence-based approach in our policing work, which are principles I use in my job every day.

“In May this year I was further promoted from inspector to chief inspector rank and incredibly I came in the top percentage of those sitting the promotion board within the Met. This meant I was given the opportunity to attend an assessment for the College of Policing’s new Fast Track inspector to superintendent programme, which I feel privileged to have gained a place on. I will now spend time as a chief inspector whilst preparing to take on a superintendent role next year.

“I am currently a neighbourhood policing chief inspector in Lambeth and I am enjoying having come full circle back to neighbourhood policing. In this role I lead a number of teams who are focused on working with the community and partners to reduce crime and rebuild trust in the borough.

“One of the sergeants I work with also joined the force via Police Now, and I have several more Police Now officers joining my team later this year. I have spent time seconded to Police Now’s academies as a trainer and senior manager to support new recruits entering the force via their neighbourhood programme, so it’s great to start seeing Police Now officers at every rank alongside the other brilliant colleagues I work with.

“If there’s one thing I always advocate to officers across policing, it’s the importance of acting with humanity and authenticity. It’s absolutely vital as a police officer and has been the consistent for me throughout my career but especially as a leader. It’s so important for what we’re trying to do when working with communities – for building relationships, implementing long-term change and supporting those who need us. It’s why I joined the job.”

  • June 2016: Katie graduated from Exeter university with a bachelor’s degree in medical sciences.
  • July 2016 – July 2018: Katie joined the Met and trained on Police Now’s two-year National Graduate Leadership Programme – which recruits, trains and supports brilliant and diverse graduates to become outstanding neighbourhood police officers and frontline leaders.
  • Jan 2020 – Jan 2022: Katie was accepted onto the College of Policing’s Fast Track constable to inspector programme and spent two years as a sergeant on rotation to different teams across the force, before becoming an inspector.
  • Jan 2022: Katie became a substantive inspector in Hackney and Tower Hamlets.
  • May 2024: Katie was promoted to chief inspector rank and joined the Lambeth neighbourhood policing team. She was also accepted onto the College of Policing’s Fast Track inspector to superintendent programme.

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VICKIE CUSTY

Head of Media and Communications

HANA TUCKER

Media and Communications Assistant Manager

Dorset Police

Police Now | Dorset Police
Scott Chilton - Dorset Police Chief Constable

Scott Chilton

Chief Constable

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