Careers Angel Profile: David Bertenshaw
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| Name | David Bertenshaw |
|---|---|
| Email Address | djberten@googlemail.com |
| Industries/Sectors | Police / Emergency Services |
| Employer | Cheshire Constabulary |
| Position | Police Superintendent |
| Experience | 40-45 years (approx.) |
| Degree | French & Russian (graduated in 1980) |
| Other Qualifications | |
| Internships | |
| Information | I've been a police officer for 27 years, which gives plenty of scope for different roles... Previous duties include 10 years on uniform patrol, control room, recruiting & career development, and project management (including managing a big PFI scheme). In the last three years I've been a member of the operational command team for the Force's Northern Area, which covers Runcorn, Widnes and Warrington. This week I've been posted to a project to review the police response to the local government review in Cheshire. |
| Things I Wish I'd Known | I'm not sure there's much that can prepare you for the initial shock of exposure to life as a constable on the beat, despite the very good training you'll get: some of the behaviour you will routinely see from the public is frankly abominable, and some of the time it's directed at you personally. You will see people at their worst. On the other hand, you daily get to make a difference for the better for ordinary people. You will often be with them at the low points in their lives and how you react is very important to them. There's a real sense of fulfilment in knowing that you have the duty to act in circumstances where others can walk away; that you deal with criminals who are ruining the lives of ordinary people; that your presence and your actions can make people be - and feel - safer. There's also frustration that sometimes the system (the paperwork, unnecessary targets etc...) seems designed to make life harder than it should be... Nonetheless, despite the occasional bad days, I cannot imagine having had a more satisfying and rewarding career. I've aimed the above at the work of constables and sergeants on the 'front line' (patrol, detection, traffic, child protection duties etc), because that's where most policing happens and which affects most people's lives. Ultimately everybody else in the police is there to support the officers on the ground in their daily interactions with the public. Nonetheless there are plenty of opportunities to specialise, or for promotion, including schemes that provide fast-track advancement to Superintendent (subject to continued satisfactory performance of course). The world of the police is becoming ever more complex and the challenges are great. There is a constant need for high-calibre recruits who are capable of not only making a difference to people's lives as operational police officers initially, but of going on to shape the policies to meet those challenges. If you have any specific questions, email me and I'll try to answer them... |