A former Army sergeant is now proudly donning the uniform of a police constable after fulfilling his lifelong ambition to become a cop.
Chris Wilson’s 23-year military service included three tours of Iraq plus another in Afghanistan.
But the dad-of-one always harboured a desire to become a police officer – and acted on that having seen Nottinghamshire Police’s recruitment drive when his Army career came to a close.
The 43-year-old, who served in the Royal Engineers and was promoted in 2017 to the rank of Staff Sergeant, is currently based at St Ann’s Police Station after completing his police officer training earlier this year.
He said: “I’ve always wanted to have a job in uniform. I was one of those lads who grew up wanting to be a police officer or a fireman. But when I was aged 18, I didn’t feel ready or mature enough to do either of those roles so I joined the Army instead.
“I’ve had an amazing time but, after 23 years, it felt like the right time to come out of the Army and join the police. I’ve always liked the idea of being a police officer and I’ve got so many more skills now than I did when I left school.
“I want to continue to use and develop these skills and I thought the police would be a great place to do that. I like the idea of being there for someone in their hour of need and they’re right at rock bottom. It’d be great to be the guy who comes in and saves the day.”
The role of a police officer is incredibly varied, but PC Wilson is used to that.
As a private soldier with the Royal Engineers, he played an important role in every area of the battlefield. At the front, he and his fellow combat soldiers supported the rest of the Army by bridging rivers, using explosives to destroy bridges or clearing routes through minefields.
Behind the front line they improved transport routes, constructed camps, built runways and carried out bomb disposal tasks. They also used their specialist skills to help rebuild communities after conflict.
“Our role was to help the Army move, fight and survive,” PC Wilson recalled. “We did things like build their accommodation, put in drainage, electricity, purify water, dig trenches.
“My first tour as a young private soldier, or a Sapper as they’re called, was in Bosnia. I then did three tours of Iraq, a tour of Afghanistan and then most recently I went to South Sudan with the United Nations as part of its peace support operations.
“It was challenging but I learnt a lot and developed many skills during the 23 years that will stand me in good stead as a police officer.”
PC Wilson is hoping this second career will enable him to continue helping and protecting others, while taking criminals off the streets.
“I’ve served all over the world and I’d like to think I’ve served different communities well,” he said. “I thought if I can do that oversees I ought to be able to do it in my home country.
“The core values are very, very similar – things like loyalty, integrity, selflessness and respectfulness. Another big one is courage, both moral and physical. I’ve had to live by those values in the Army and they’re so similar to Nottinghamshire Police’s PROUD values (Professional; Respect for all; One team; Utmost integrity, Trust and honesty; Doing it differently).”
PC Wilson was among 24 new police officers welcomed into Nottinghamshire Police during a passing out ceremony at the force’s headquarters on 26 November after completing an 18-week long training programme.
The cohort completed a mix of classroom training and operational attachments with their tutors. The new recruits have now been deployed across the county and are undertaking a range of duties in their new roles alongside their tutor officers.
Having climbed up the ranks during his time in the Army, PC Wilson admitted transitioning into a police constable had not been easy – but that he was already enjoying his new role.
“The training was a little bit daunting for me,” he said. “Towards the back end of my time in the Army, I was a trainer so I had to have a bit of a reset. It was a bit strange suddenly being the one who is learning as opposed to the person doing the tutoring.
“But the training was really great and it’s enabled me to go into my shifts with both feet. I’ve already had a lot of interaction with the public and families, as well as a few naughty people so to speak!
“You deal with all kinds of things, no day is the same and my shifts have just flown by. You can start your shift and look to get a few bits done, but then something will happen and the next thing you know you’re out with the blue lights on.”
Nottinghamshire Police’s officer ranks are currently at their highest levels for a decade following an intensive recruitment drive.
The force is already a year ahead on its recruitment trajectory which has already seen 243 new officers in post – over and above its target of 212 by March 2022 through the national Uplift programme.
As part of its recruitment efforts, the force is working hard to become more representative of the people it serves by recruiting more female and black, Asian and minority ethnic people within its ranks.
PC Wilson welcomed the force’s efforts to be more representative of the communities it serves – including by welcoming applications from older age groups.
“I’m proof that no-one is treated any differently because of their age,” he said. “During our training, there was no expectation that I would know more or be better in certain ways because I was older than many of the others. Everyone is treated exactly the same.”
Chief Constable Craig Guildford said he was delighted to welcome PC Wilson into the force.
He said: “We are very happy that PC Wilson has joined our ranks. Military skills translate very well to policing in that both professions help protect the innocent and are all about teamwork.
“Whenever we look to recruit new police officers, we look for people who are compassionate, resilient and above all dedicated to making communities safer places to live, work and visit.
“PC Wilson has those attributes in abundance and I wish him well as he starts his new career in policing.”
