Police II

The City of London Police is the oldest police force in the country and one of the smallest. The force employs 750 police officers and covers the square mile of the City of London, Europe's foremost financial capital. We profile two recent recruits

Matthew Hone

Police Constable Matthew Hone is 20 and joined the City of London Police in November 2000.

Before he joined, Matthew worked in a bank for three years. "I enjoyed my time in the bank," he says, "but I wanted to do more for the community and also something that was very different from my previous employment."

When asked how his life has changed since becoming a police officer, Matthew says that he now has days off during the week, which is a new experience for him, but more importantly he is now part of a very close knit working team. The closeness to colleagues is enhanced by the fact that the City Police is a small force and therefore everyone tends to know each other.

Working for the public and being able to help people is what Matthew enjoys most about being a police officer. "I like coming to work," he adds, "not knowing what I will be doing or dealing with during the course of the day."

Sarah Hook

Police Constable Sarah Hook, also 20, joined the City of London Police a month after Matthew. "I joined the police," she tells us, "because it is something I have always wanted to do. I see it as a career that will help me develop as a person in many ways. I joined the City Police because it has an excellent reputation and the City looked like a great place to take up the role of a Police Constable. It is exciting, busy and so diverse."

Sarah left college in 1999 and went to work for six months as a ski company representative in the French Alps. On her return to the UK, she worked for a while in a children's theme park before applying to join the police.

So far, her new career has lived up to her expectations. "It is what I expected and more. I have learned so much about the job and the public. There are downsides to the job but the good points far outweigh the bad. You never know what you may come across when you set foot out of the front door of the station at the start of a shift."

For Sarah, as with Matthew, the main job satisfaction comes from serving the public. "I enjoy talking and working with the public, having a responsible role within society and being part of a team. I also like working in London."

For further information

The City of London Police is currently seeking new recruits. If you are interested in finding out more about a career in the City of London Police, contact the Force Personnel Office on: 020 7601 2251/2252. Alternatively, write to:

You can also visit the City Police website at: www.cityoflondon.police.uk where you can download application forms direct.