Sophia Swallow

Sophia is a Dispatcher. She has been working for Cambridgeshire Constabulary for nearly two years. 

How did you get into your current role?

I’ve always wanted to work for the police, but I wasn’t sure where my skills were the best fit. I am definitely not made for running after suspects! During lockdown I started studying my master’s in Criminology and Criminal Psychology online and I knew this was the career I wanted. After talking to my mum about different options she suggested looking at police staff roles and when I saw the Dispatcher description, I felt it suited me perfectly!

Can you describe a typical day as a dispatcher?

It sounds cliché, but there really isn’t a typical day! Our primary role is to assign officers to incidents and provide them with as much information as possible to keep them and the public safe. Our day depends entirely on the calls we can get in. It can range from the things you see on TV such as domestics and fights, to asking officers to remove swans and cows from the roads to prevent any traffic or road issues. You can come up with a well thought out plan on where your officers will go and then an unexpected job will come in and completely change everything.  

Why do you enjoy your role, and what would you say to someone considering a career in the force Demand Hub?

I enjoy that no day is the same and you can honestly see that you’re helping people and making a difference. It’s a role which requires a lot of teamwork and you’re always assessing risks. It’s not an easy job, you hear awful things and see the worst in people, but you will always find good things too. It will always keep you on your toes, but if you’re interested, I would say to go for it!

Do you have any standout stories or anecdotes that stick in your mind from your time as a dispatcher?

The jobs which always stand out for me are the ones where we catch suspects in domestics or sexual assaults. When an officer calls up and says they detained someone you feel relieved and happy that you’ve detained someone who has really hurt another person.  In particular, it’s been cases where we’ve had minimal information on a suspect, but I’ve been able to locate them for officers to arrest them. You can go home knowing you’ve really made a difference.