Careers
Tuesday 27 April 2021
Every year Crest offers a number of secondment opportunities for candidates across different organisations. In April, we welcomed Police Now graduate Amber Joyce to offer her fresh frontline insight on a variety of different projects across the Strategy & Insight team.
What is Police Now?
I have just spent the last four weeks on secondment with Crest Advisory from the Metropolitan Police. This unique opportunity to gain an insight into the work at Crest stemmed from my route of entry into the police force – the ‘Police Now’ graduate leadership programme. Police Now aims to recruit graduates from diverse backgrounds and develop them into leaders on the police frontline. Its mission is to transform communities, reduce crime and increase public confidence in policing.
Police Now’s mission really resonated with me and I was excited at the prospect of being involved at the ground level with meaningful, positive social change. After a demanding – but fun – application process and a whirlwind six weeks of intensive training at the Police Now summer academy, I found myself on patrol as a neighbourhood police officer.
There is no such thing as a typical day and the environment can be challenging. On my very first shift, I had to provide first aid to an individual who’d suffered a severe head injury. In the heat of the moment, it felt like I was running on autopilot. On reflection, it was immensely reassuring to know that I was able to put into practice on the streets the skills I’d learned at the Police Now summer academy.
My colleagues and I deal with a wide array of incidents and situations every day. They include catching people who are carrying knives, returning missing children safely home to their parents and arresting individuals who are wanted for a variety of offences. The most rewarding moments, however, are the smaller ones: a “thank you” from a passing member of the public or being able to tell a victim of crime that the perpetrator has been arrested and charged.
As a neighbourhood police officer, one of our main roles is problem-solving - developing an understanding of persistent issues faced by residents in order to better protect the community. For example, this could be a dispute between neighbours or an address which is linked to anti-social behaviour. Helping to combat long-term societal issues as well as protecting some of the most vulnerable in society is incredibly rewarding. I’ve learned valuable lessons by being embedded in the diverse community I am fortunate enough to serve and through collaborative work with various other teams and partner agencies.
My experience at Crest
Police Now also provides the chance to take part in an external secondment. The idea is that by working in other areas, you exchange knowledge and experience, bring society and policing closer together - and become a more effective police officer. Securing a secondment is a competitive process but I was fortunate to be offered my first choice, Crest Advisory.
Throughout my time at Crest, I’ve been involved in a range of relevant, impactful projects, such as studying inequality and violence and researching the use of out-of-court disposals. It’s enabled me to develop my strategic and analytical thinking skills through a more policy-focused lens. I feel grateful to have been exposed to the wealth of knowledge and experience within the Crest team and I’m looking forward to returning to the front line to apply the knowledge and skills I’ve gained and developed at Crest, with a renewed confidence in Police Now’s mission.
I have thoroughly enjoyed my month spent at Crest - testament to their exciting, innovative work and the welcoming, friendly nature of the company. I feel privileged to have been given an insight into their work.