Chief Inspector Mhairi Grant
I was recently appointed from Detective Inspector with the
Public Protection Unit of Crime Services, serving the whole Force
area, to the rank of Chief Inspector, as Area Commander in
Orkney.
I initially joined Northern Constabulary in 1978 as a Cadet,
before applying to the regular Force as a Police Constable the
following year. In 1981 after three years service I left to get
married and have a family, before rejoining Northern Constabulary
in 1991.
Once I rejoined, I went back to the Training College and was
pleasantly surprised to see that there were a number of new
recruits around the same age as me. Obviously I expected to be
surrounded by a high number of young recruits, but this was
definitely not the case. During both my stints at the College, I
realised that what you learn here is absolutely vital in providing
the skills you need to do the job.
While based in the Public Protection Unit, I was involved in
leading Force-wide policies that cover child and adult protection.
This involved working in partnership with other agencies, and I had
to ensure that the correct training and procedures are in place to
make sure that the public is protected when it comes to issues such
as child abuse, domestic violence and sex offenders. Iwas also on
call as a Senior Investigative Officer and called out to a variety
of situations.
I love the buzz of this job and enjoy working with so many
different people and different personalities. I’m constantly
liaising with colleagues from partner agencies including the local
council, health and education authorities, and working in such a
sensitive area of policing and with high-risk issues, I have to
make sure that the work carried out by the Force is highly
defensible. Public Protection was an area that was of particular
interest to me and I was keen to take it on and it will stand me in
good stead for my new role as Area Commander in Orkney.
Getting my Detective Inspector role was a great achievement for
me. It wasn’t something I’d put myself forward for, in fact I was
recommended by senior colleagues – this was a tremendous vote of
confidence for me. I really enjoyed my time in the Public
Protection Unit, but I am looking forward to the move and the
opportunity to work really closely with the local community in
Orkney.
A career as a Police Officer with Northern Constabulary brings
with it lots of opportunities to develop. It’s a secure job and I’d
recommend it as a career to anyone. You’ll be given all the
training you need, so when you do attend a situation you know the
procedures you need to go through to take charge and ensure a good
outcome. Officers need to have lots of common sense, tolerance,
resilience and the ability to work effectively as part of a team.
If you’re a well-rounded person with a positive attitude, Northern
Constabulary will teach you the rest of the skills needed to be an
effective Police Officer.