On The Beat: Former finance worker takes on ‘exciting’ new police role

I am Constable Bissett of the Police Scotland, I currently work as a uniformed constable at Aberdeen Divisional Headquarters, Queen Street, Aberdeen.

I have been in this role for approximately a year and mostly cover the areas of Aberdeen city centre and Rosemount.

I first thought about joining the police service a few years ago, I ultimately applied and was accepted. I was so excited to face a new challenge in my professional life and since passing out of Scottish Police College at Tulliallan in Fife, I have seen myself develop into a more confident person.

Having previously worked in the finance sector, I have been able to bring some of the skills I learnt from there into my role as a police officer. My team comprises of eight constables who are overseen by a sergeant and thereafter an inspector. The team are very welcoming and have a variety of previous work experiences, there is not one officer who is exactly the same as the next which allows for a wide and varied skillset.

Every shift begins with a briefing from the sergeant, whether that be dayshift, late shift or nightshift. From my experiences over the last year I have definitely noted that no day is ever the same, and I have dealt with everything from assaults to shopliftings to drugs offences and to assisting vulnerable persons. I can happily state this is one of the reasons I joined the job, the unknowing and unpredictability of what you may have to attend next.

During one incident I was asked to search for a vulnerable person suffering from dementia. I was made aware of their description and started searching in the area, and within a matter of minutes I found them and returned them into the care of their grateful family. Having done this, I ensured that the family were referred to support agencies to assist them.

Almost straight after, I found myself attending an ongoing assault which required us to use our vehicle’s emergency equipment to get to the incident quickly. After we stopped the fight, we gave first-aid to the injured party prior to the ambulance arriving and then took the offender into custody.

I can recall many other incidents that would describe what it is like to be “On the Beat” but would like to say the job is extremely varied and suitable to anyone looking for a new and exciting, yet challenging working environment.

When not attending divisional jobs, I tend to conduct high visibility patrols within the city and regularly patrol areas raised as concerns from members of the public to ensure I am keeping them safe, as well as working to resolve community issues.

I understand that we are in unusual times, not only in our professional lives but in our personal lives. As a police officer, I will continue to work alongside partner agencies to provide help and support to all individuals that require it during these difficult times and for years to come.