Being on the beat involves patience, intelligence gathering and early intervention to help prevent crime
Serving local communities as a neighbourhood police officer
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Case study
1 min read
PC Matt Eld really enjoys his role as a neighbourhood police officer – connecting with the local community, working closely with other agencies and being inspired by some of his colleagues who have been on the beat for many years.
It's very diverse. You can in many respects focus on what your interests are to a degree, y'know, you're proactive, you can attend emergency calls but at the same time you may be going to a local school to deal with a vulnerable child. So there isn't necessarily a set plan on what you will do.
PC Matt Eld
Hear from Matt about his role in neighbourhood policing, and how he learned Polish to help him build relationships with new communities in the area.
After doing his A-levels and working part-time in retail, Matt – who had wanted to be a police officer since he was a child – became a police community support officer (PCSO) at the age of 18, where he developed his communication skills and confidence.
He became a PC and then served for a short time as a response officer, before returning to neighbourhood policing and the close links he had built with the local Leicestershire community.
He says: ‘The main thing I really enjoy about being a police officer is engaging with the community, you know, getting to know people, that’s what I like about it.’
And that commitment has been recognised, after Matt won the NPCC's Community Police Officer of the Year award in 2019.
Find out more about the neighbourhood policing career family pathway and the role profile. And discover the different ways you could work for the police and be a force for good in your community, a force for all.
