It is a job which is varied, exciting but can also be dangerous. Reporter Rebecca Murphy spent time on shift with Breckland police.
Unlike many jobs, when you’re a police officer you never quite know what you’re going to face when you arrive at work.
No shift can be classed as normal and while some days can be less frantic than others, it is this variety and challenges it brings which many officers enjoy.
Pc David Sayer, of Breckland Police, has been with Norfolk Constabulary for nearly 13 years. He said that although the job can be stressful, there are no dull moments.
On Monday during Pc Sayer’s 3pm until 11pm shift, he was involved in five jobs. This may not sound a lot but the incidents he attended - including two missing persons and a domestic - can take hours to sort, with safeguarding measures and reports.
Pc Sayer and his colleague did not finish their shift until 1am due to a domestic incident, which was complex as it involved children and an arrest.
MORE - ‘It is not only about catching the bad guys’ – A day in the life of Norfolk Police
He said: “So what would I expect coming in on a shift? It is very difficult to say, there is no rhyme or reason or pattern to the job load that comes in.
“We are governed by our control room and respond to the jobs which are given to us, whether they be an anti-social behaviour issue or a serious road traffic collision or a sudden death.
“You just respond to the job and move onto the next one.”
For police in the Breckland district, they spend a lot of time responding to incidents on the A11 which can be quite time consuming. Out on patrol with Pc Sayer and Pc Amy Lucas on Tuesday, the first call we attended was a collision between a car and a lorry on the A11 at Thetford. There was no damage or injuries and after a quick lane closure it was back on the road.
But within 15 minutes we were back on the same stretch of road to help with a broken down lorry.
A lane closure was put in place and we were stationed on the road along with another crew to ensure the safety of the road users.
After just over an hour we were freed up to continue responding to emergencies.
During the 3pm to 11pm shift we were called to a concern for safety in Thetford after a woman was worried after her mum did not answer the door. Fortunately all turned out well.
We also undertook anti-social patrols around areas in Thetford and looked into an enquiry from another police force, where words of advice were given regarding a complaint.
‘I thoroughly enjoy the job’
PC Sayer said: “I thoroughly enjoy the job I’m doing and that’s basically down to team work, good people to work with and we have a good working relationship.
“The job can be very stressful at times but through team work we get through that and it is the variety of different jobs you get every day.
“There is no dull 9-5 issues it can be full on right from the get go and right until the end of the shift and beyond the end of the shift.
“So often working late but the team pulls together and we get the thing done.”
If you want to report an incident that is not an emergency you can call the 101 service.
Other crimes or incidents, including anti-social behaviour, lost or found property or dashboard camera footage can be reported online.
Visit the Norfolk police website for more information.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here