Tendring: Meet the officers responding to your emergency calls

Officers from our local policing teams are often the first police officers you will see if you are in crisis, if you are the victim of or a witness to a crime or if you are suspected of committing a crime.

And, sadly, they are also the officers who may have to deliver bad news to you on what may turn out to be the worst day of your life.

Inspector Hayley Rook, of Clacton Local Policing Team, explains:

“They are very much the public face of Essex Police, representing the force at its best in any circumstance. And, because of the variety of incidents requiring their response, they have a wide range of general policing knowledge and expertise. 
“Actions and decisions our local policing officers make impact on any subsequent investigation, whether large or small.”

Like Response policing officers everywhere, Sergeant Carla Hammond enjoys the busy-ness and the variety. She has been on Clacton Local Policing Team since she joined us 15 years ago.

“I believe we make a difference to people’s lives, I really do. 
“It doesn’t always seem like it at the time but then someone will contact me, or someone in the team, to say how a piece of advice we have given at a job has made a difference to them.
“It might be that the information we provide resonates with, for example, a domestic abuse victim a little later down the line and then they might find the courage to leave an abusive partner.
“It’s the same with mental health, as well. I once attended a mental health incident and signposted the person to organisations which could give them support. Later on, they told me how they’d turned their life around, getting the help they needed and the job they wanted.”

On an average day, Essex Police receives 88 calls or reports from members of the public relating to incidents across the Tendring district.

Reports of hate-related incidents and community issues will be investigated by community policing team officers, often working with Tendring Council and other partner agencies to resolve them.

But usually, our local policing officers are the first police officers at an incident and they will often investigate it, too.

From burglaries to domestic disputes, from concerns for safety to searching for high-risk missing people, from anti-social behaviour and criminal damage to assaults and dealing with the results of poor & dangerous driving - no two days are the same.

Many officers on local policing teams love this variety and say that is what attracts them to the job.

PC Dan Robinson says he joined Essex Police four years ago after a career with the Co-op because he wanted ‘something a bit unpredictable’.

“I like helping people, it’s the satisfaction you get from knowing you’ve made a difference to someone’s life, that you’re the person they call when their back’s against the wall or when they really need help.”

Recently, he and four colleagues attended a report of a man in cardiac arrest in a Clacton store.

“We attended, closed the store and took witness details. We took it in turns to perform CPR for about half an hour, until a paramedic arrived to take over, while the ambulance crew helped to stabilise him.
“We were there for about an hour until the air ambulance arrived and flew the man to Basildon Hospital.
“I checked the next day and hospital staff said he was recovering very well.”

Every shift is busy but sometimes there is time for local policing officers to go out on proactive patrols in between attending incidents to engage with the public and build neighbourhood links.

Are you or is someone you know suffering from domestic abuse?

Domestic abuse can happen to anyone and comes in all different guises. If you feel unsafe or distressed by a loved one or family member, you could be a victim of domestic abuse.

And domestic abuse is never acceptable. Report it by dialling 999 in an emergency or 101 otherwise. If you call 999 and cannot speak because you're in a dangerous situation, press 55 on your phone and our operator will know how to respond.

You can also find support networks across Essex by visiting Essex Compass: www.essexcompass.org.uk 

And if you are an abuser, is it time to Reflect on your behaviour? Call the Change Project on 0845 372 7701 or visit www.thechange-project.org for help and support to make a change.

Could you?

Protecting our communities is at the heart of everything we do. 

If you’re passionate about protecting people and you want to serve your community and make a difference, you could fit the bill. 

Join us and start your policing journey.