News Item - News - Surrey Police

Surrey Police ‘growing its own’ community students

Submitted: 05/04/2005 16:57:45

Chief Constable Bob Quick and Surrey Police Authority Chairman Liz Campbell with 16-year-old Jade Chorley from Oxted School, at the launch of the 'Growing our own' programme

TWENTY-TWO students from schools across the county have joined Surrey Police on a unique 12-month work experience programme designed to encourage local youngsters to consider a career with the police.

Launched at Surrey University by Chief Constable Bob Quick and Chairman of the Surrey Police Authority Liz Campbell, the innovative new ‘Growing our own’ programme has created the role of Surrey Police Community Student, giving students from Surrey schools the opportunity to work on different Surrey Police divisions with various units and departments during their school holidays and free time, to gain some experience of what it would be like to join the police service.

A specially designed uniform of cargo trousers, polo shirt, baseball cap and a reflective jacket is being provided for each student to wear while they spend time with Surrey officers and staff, getting involved in many aspects of day-to-day policing such as patrolling with neighbourhood specialist officers or helping out in police station front offices.

Surrey Police is the first force to work with Trident, a charitable trust and the largest co-ordinator of work experience in the UK, to offer policing as a real work experience option. Last year the partnership resulted in the largest and most successful work experience project ever carried out within a police force when 47 students took part in a three-day pilot programme, their every move monitored by assessors looking to find Surrey’s officers of the future.

The students, who spent time with Surrey officers learning about everything from dog handling to drug awareness, also had to take the same fitness test as every new police recruit and complete a chosen project. Those who showed potential as future Surrey Police officers will shortly be starting the very first 12-month work experience programme.

Chief Inspector Neil Boon, head of Surrey Police Recruitment, said: “Surrey Police is committed to neighbourhood policing, with local solutions to local problems, and this work experience programme is about identifying and developing local people to serve local communities in the future. We are an innovative police force with a wide range of excellent career opportunities for both police officers and police staff, which helps to make us a very competitive employer.”

Youth work experience is the ideal way to find out more about working for Surrey Police. If you are aged between 14 and 17 and want to take part, you can apply using the online form on the Trident website at www.thetridenttrust.org.uk If your application is successful, you will be invited on the three-day Work Experience Programme and if you've got what it takes you'll be asked to join us for regular work experience.

Call 0845 125 2222 for all non-emergency policing matters.

Call 999 if you have a genuine emergency requiring the attendance of the police (eg a crime is in progress or someone is in immediate danger).

Call Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 if you have information about crime and don't want to leave your name.

Ends JAW/28/05

The 22 students taking part in the current Surrey Police Work Experience Programme are:

Charlotte Tufnell - Ash Manor School

Helena Thewliss )

Imogen Steiert )

Lauren Dunlop ) Oxted School

Alexandra Clayton )

Jade Chorley )

Chloe Breen )

Catrina Morgan )

David Mills )

Sophie Hamilton ) Fullbrook School, New Haw

Kirsty Hobbs )

Matthew Burt ) Bishop Wand School, Sunbury

Matthew Sones )

Tom Boardman ) St Georges School, Addlestone

Francesca Neame )

Samantha Mullett )

Chris Rowntree ) Therfield School, Leatherhead

Sophia Sweeney )

Joanna Parrish - Esher College

Steven Rhodes - Winston Churchill School, Woking

Jason Chorley - Halliford School, Shepperton

Emma McKay - Farnborough College

For further information please contact Surrey Police press office

E-mail: press.office@surrey.pnn.police.uk