Inspector Angus MacLeod
I joined Northern Constabulary in 1988 from the Royal Military
Police where I spent three years based in the UK and Germany. I had
always planned to become a Police Officer but was keen to broaden
my life experiences so I joined the Military Police after leaving
school. My reason for joining Northern Constabulary was that I
wanted a highly rewarding career based in the Highlands &
Islands. I thought that this would be a great way to experience all
the area had to offer.
During my career and subsequent promotions to Sergeant and
Inspector I have continued to pick up skills from on the job
training as well as undertaking a number of different courses.
These courses have ranged from Search Team training through to
courses that developed managerial and leadership skills. Throughout
my career I have always been given support by Northern Constabulary
to develop.
I have served in all the Island locations (Western Isles,
Shetland and Orkney) as well as a number of mainland locations.
Each station has always had something positive to offer. There is
an expectation that you will serve in at least one Island posting,
during your career with Northern Constabulary, and my advice would
be to go there with the right attitude and accept that you will be
viewed as an essential part of the local community. Policing on the
Islands has its own challenges but it can be very rewarding as well
as offering a good quality of life.
Wherever you go our communities have high expectations that
their Police Officers are on hand to solve a variety of issues with
the most common being road traffic problems and anti-social
behaviour.
I am currently based in the Staff Office at Police Headquarters
in Inverness, and my role is to support the Chief Constable and
Executive Team in relation to local and national issues. It is a
very different position from front line policing, but it has given
me the chance to broaden my skills in a very different environment
to what I’ve been used to. Part of my focus is on understanding how
national issues will affect Northern Constabulary in the short,
medium and long term, and this means keeping up to date with
policies that will impact on the Force itself.
The role of a Police Officer is not without its difficulties but
it is rewarding. It gives you the opportunity to make a difference
in the communities in which you serve. When you start your shift
you have no idea what you will be dealing with so you need to be
prepared to expect the unexpected. It is by no means a routine
job.
If you would like to become a Police Officer in Northern
Constabulary you’ll need strong communication skills and sound
integrity. Members of the public look to the Police for reassurance
and guidance and you will need to demonstrate leadership qualities
from the very start. If you do that you’ll enjoy a varied,
interesting and extremely worthwhile career.