Georgia Callander

Years of service: 2 years

Police Constable, Georgia Callander joined Police Scotland after studying biology at university. She has a degree in Development, Regeneration and Stem Cells, from the University of Edinburgh and currently works as a response officer in Dumbarton.

What made you want to join the police?

I pretty much joined after my studies. For me, I wanted to join the police because it ticked all the boxes of what I was looking for. No one day would be the same and helping people would always be a top priority. I actually found through studying science that investigative mind set really did carry over, which was quite nice.

You’re gathering evidence and following the routes that the evidence presents to you – the mind set was so similar. I definitely benefitted from my previous experience coming in to the police. I had that sense of discipline and that meticulous approach that I feel is beneficial in being a police officer.

What is your current role?

My current role is working in response policing, so I work a varied shift pattern and it’s my job to respond to emergency and non-emergency calls. What do you enjoy most about being a police officer?

I think the interaction is what I enjoy most. I’ve met officers and members of the public that I would never have had the pleasure of meeting in another line of work and being able to help someone with your team, with your group at work, and see a positive impact is wonderful.

What’s the most challenging thing about your role?

It’s a very challenging job. You are seeing things and dealing with incidents that you would just never come across in any other line of work. You see people at their lowest and you can never predict what kind of incident you are going to be dealing with.

With that comes risk but there is always a comfort when you are working with like- minded individuals and you have each other’s back. It means any challenge is immeasurably easier to face and to overcome.

What makes you want to get up every day and put on the uniform?

Knowing that I am the one people need to be there in their time of need and being the first responder, it is enjoyable because you’re directly impacting people’s lives. When you’re able to make a positive difference it’s rewarding for them and it’s rewarding for you and it really does push you on as well What’s been your career highlight so far?

I’ve had so many highlights. One that sticks out is when I was dealing with my first case and using new legislation, which was the Domestic Abuse Scotland Act legislation. I was helping a person who was the subject of this and through speaking with them, and making them feel comfortable, I was able to apply the legislation correctly for a successful outcome for the individual. Helping that person and seeing that come to fruition was really great. Have you gained any new skills during your service?

I’ve developed many skills since joining the police. It’s a job like no other. It’s a very steep learning curve but if you have the right attitude, use all the resources available to you and speak to your colleagues then you really can come through anything.

What do you enjoy about working with the public?

It’s great. You meet so many different people on a daily basis and you are exposed to situations that you never expect. You learn a lot from the public. No one person is the same and that’s great for developing your own skill set and helping you with your own communications - sometimes the benefits even carry over to your personal life.

What do you like most about working as a team?

As a member of the police family team work is really at the core of everything that we do. When we’re responding to calls, when we’re responding to incidents, we know that our colleagues are right there with us and have our backs. It’s a really powerful feeling. It’s the team work and support that we give to each other that helps us come through any challenge.

You mentioned the challenges faced as a response officer, how do you cope with that?

Everything is made easier to cope with by your team and with your group. Everyone has been there and been in your shoes. When you are speaking with officers with more experience or more years under the belt it does give you comfort and makes you feel better. Having that sounding board with your colleagues is really important. They all understand it and they all get it and nothing is off limits to talk about.

Have you had any thoughts about your future career in policing and are there any other areas that interest you?

Looking forward, I would like to continue where I am. I think I have so much more to learn and experience and I want to better myself so that I can provide the best service that I can on the frontline. Hopefully more officers will consider working on the frontline. We need more people and everyone has a place here.

What would you say to someone looking to become a police officer?

I would encourage anyone considering it to go for it. Make sure that you look at the website and find out as much information as you can. You can ask us anything, our recruitment team will be happy to speak to you.

I think most police officers have the same mind set. If you have a will and an urge to help people and be there in their time of need then it’s absolutely the job for you.

Best of luck, we would love to have you.