Integrity, empathy, a sense of justice and a desire to do something worthwhile are the qualities that sustain a good police officer. At inspector level additional things come into play, such as the ability to manage a team, make high level decisions and think strategically. And unlike the private sector, where the good of the organisation is paramount, inspectors serve the public. Their role is to deal with threat, harm and risk to individuals, the community and the country, making decisions on a daily basis on which lives can depend.
“You could have intelligence or reports of something seemingly minor that could be a precursor to a massive risk to the public and you have to decide what to do about it,” says inspector Deborah Goff from Thames Valley Police. “Inspectors need to be able to think in the short term, the medium term and the long term, and be able to manage resources sensibly and effectively when they make a judgment call.
“I would say that one of the most important qualities is empathy, with members of your team and the public. You will be meeting people at the worst time in their lives, perhaps someone has been murdered or killed in road accident, their house has been burgled or their child is missing.”
A good inspector is driven by a desire for the common good to solve problems for the individual or the community, Goff says. “We work as a huge team both within the police service and collaborating with our stakeholders such as local authorities, the NHS, schools and the fire service, and what you get is a sense of camaraderie and common purpose.”
Inspector Amrik Klair, head of West Mercia Police’s Telford and Shropshire crime reduction team, has a list of key values – including honour, integrity, loyalty, fairness and doing the right thing rather than taking the easy road – that drives his management style.
Beyond the importance of these values, the qualities that make a good manager in the police force are not so different to elsewhere, Klair says: “There are very few skills needed to be a good manager at my level that are specifically police-related. Those that you do need for legitimacy - such as knowledge of the law and the confidence that comes with experience - are things that we, in the organisation, can give you.
“People with different experiences can bring fresh thinking and diversity to the service. As a direct entrant you will probably need to be a resilient person because there is a lot to learn, but there will be plenty of people at my level, above and below to support you.”
Learn more about applying for Direct Entry to the police service at inspector level.
