A visit with a difference

Road policing officers, the control room and the BCH dog unit gained an honorary member of the team earlier this week when a young boy with a rare degenerative muscle wasting disease visited force headquarters.

Samson Ellison, 12, visited police HQ in Huntingdon on Tuesday (27 August) with his mum Lynnette and brother Leo, 14.

His school summer holidays took an exciting twist when he was invited to spend some time with various policing teams. The visit came after he and his brother Leo both expressed an interest in working for the police later in life.

Samson, who lives in St Neots, was diagnosed with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy when he was three.

Lynnette said: “After everything I’ve heard from my grandad who was in the police, it’s wonderful to have a visit to headquarters, see behind the scenes and some of the different teams and jobs available.

“That aspect is great for Samson and Leo, who have seen the different options if you want to work in the police – the physical side of things for Leo and the behind-the-scenes opportunities available for Samson.

“We want Samson to have the same experiences as everyone else, to be happy, do what he wants to do and feel fulfilled in life – having a career is a massive part of that.”

Samson had a tour of force HQ before being shown the ropes in the BCH Road Policing Unit. He heard what kind of jobs and calls the officers attend, was shown some of the equipment including a vehicle stinger and explored inside a police car, operating the lights and sirens.

He also looked round a police motorcycle and briefly met officers from the armed policing unit (APU) who were on their way to a job in Peterborough.

This was followed by a trip to the force control room and demand hub, where Samson saw the busy call-taking environment and witnessed staff working to despatch officers to incidents across Cambridgeshire.

His last visit of the day was to Police Dog Vinnie and his handler, PC Lindsey Cox, where he learnt about the different types of police dog, how they help officers day-to-day and was even treated to a demonstration of Vinnie finding his hidden house keys.

To conclude the trip, Samson and Leo received certificates from Chief Constable Nick Dean for their interest and ongoing support in the police.

Samson said it was “eye-opening” to spend some time with different departments while Leo added that it was exciting to consider how to get a job in policing and the variety of jobs on offer.

Lynnette added: “Samson uses an adapted powered wheelchair to access any distance. The day at HQ helped us explore opportunities within the police for disabled people, and it was so positive to hear that Beds, Cambs and Herts are disability-confident leaders regarding employment.

“Leo is interested in perhaps joining the police, so, along with him being an incredible carer for his brother, this visit has proved to be a rewarding, insightful and inspirational for him too.

“Duchenne has not made Samson less loveable, caring, kind, funny and bright. It has not stopped him playing with and making friends for life. It has made us appreciate everything we have and hold so much hope for the future.

“We hope to see our boy grow into a man who will change the world in his own way, and we are incredibly grateful for visits like these which will make a huge difference.”

Sergeant Aaron Murphy, who helped arrange the visit for Samson, said he was pleased he could help highlight the variety of roles in the police, the different teams and opportunities for people living with disabilities.

He added: “Sometimes the small things for us can make such a big difference to others. Samson and his family had a brilliant day at force HQ and we are delighted to have made such a difference to them.”

For more information about Samson’s story, visit the family’s Facebook page.