Public Sector's Local Heroes

Jun 29 2008

ALEX SALMOND hopes his pledge to put 1000 extra bobbies on the beat will reduce crime across Scotland. Graeme Stewart is one of the cops on the frontline of the community where crime rates have fallen by a fifth since old-fashioned street patrols were re-introduced.

GRAEME, 29, of Edinburgh, is based at the Howden Hall Police Station and has served 18 months of a two-year probation.

The history graduate loves being on the beat and says it takes people from all kinds of backgrounds to make the police force a diverse and modern organisation. He follows in the footsteps of former Lothian and Borders Chief Constable Paddy Tompkins, who took a similar route into the force.

Graeme said: "Not many people can see the link between history and the police but there is a lot of research and investigation involved in both fields and our former chief constable was a history graduate too."

Keen cycler Graeme managed a bike shop in Tollcross for seven years before thinking of joining the police.

He said: "The police is one of the few careers remaining where you can have a job for life. Few people in my intake got through the whole process but I was very committed and determined to succeed. Getting through the final interview was a big relief."

Despite being in the force for only 18 months he has already had to use his CS spray to protect colleagues.

He said: "It is one of the things you are taught in officer training and can happen to any officer but your training kicks in. There are hard days and challenging days but there is a satisfaction from dealing with things properly."

Graeme is enjoying his new life as a beat cop and says he has no intentions to specialise. He said: "Beat officers are like the GPs of the force. I can see myself doing this for the foreseeable future and there are lots of opportunities once you have experience.

Visit www.lbp.police.uk/recruitment

'Police force offers you a job for life'