Meet PC Sean Whelan

What motivated you to join Northamptonshire Police?

From a young age I was always interested in the police, I thought police officers looked pretty cool. My grandfather had an old radio which was tuned into the police radio channels before they became digital, and I would occasionally listen so I could hear what the police were doing in my area. I moved to Northamptonshire at the age of 14 and joined the Roade School (now Elizabeth Woodville), where there was a part-time police officer who sat in his own private office. I would occasionally see him on school premises and was in awe of the job he did.

When I left school at 18, I decided to join Northamptonshire Police as a PCSO to gain life experience and the skills required to become a police officer in the future. It was a great achievement to be accepted into the police so young, and enabled me to help the community that I grew up in. I decided to stay with the force to become a police officer, which I felt was a natural progression from a PCSO.

What were your ambitions when you joined Northamptonshire Police?

I initially joined the force as a PCSO with the eventual goal of becoming a police officer. I knew the PCSO role would give me the confidence, problem-solving and interpersonal skills needed to be successful as a police officer, and I spent my time as a PCSO developing myself towards becoming the best police officer I could be. This was my only ambition, anything else after that was a bonus.

How has being an officer at Northamptonshire Police impacted you?

For me, being a police officer carries a responsibility both on and off duty and I am always aware of the impact my words and attitude can have on those around me as a representative of Northamptonshire Police. Some members of the public will see police officers as role models and there is always a standard and expectation of how I present and carry myself at all times. I wouldn’t want to let myself down or tarnish the hard work of my fellow police officers. I also have an in-built sense of duty to want to help people who need it and to stop any wrongdoing.

I always strive to do the best job I can for the people I meet. It’s not a job you can just clock off from when your shift ends, sometimes it means finishing late or putting myself out to get the right result for that person.

I also realise the importance of teamwork, it’s not a job you can do alone.

How do you balance your career and family commitments?

The role can be full on: physically, mentally and emotionally demanding. After a few tough months of shift work, I will always take annual leave mixed with rest days. This gives me enough time away from work to help recharge and spend some time with my family. This works well for me – it’s good to take breaks from work and do something completely different to reset and be ready to return with a fresh mind set.

What achievement are you most proud of?

During the second year of my probationary period as an officer, I was working on a response team whilst studying for my police officer qualification. A film crew visited the station and asked for volunteers to put themselves forward to be filmed for a “fly-on-the-wall” documentary. Being a probationary officer at the time, I didn’t consider myself worthy enough to put my name forward and represent the force on national television and was quite daunted at the prospect. However, to my surprise, the team Inspector nominated me personally to the film crew who ultimately selected me to be included in the documentary.  I took it as a huge compliment that the senior officer felt confident enough in my abilities to represent Northamptonshire Police on national TV, especially when I was still so new in service. It was a memorable experience and proud moment for me that I will never forget.

What is the most rewarding aspect of your job?

One of the most rewarding aspects for me is to be able to target those who are committing crime in Northamptonshire, and personally seeing an investigation through to the end in court. Knowing I have used my initiative, training, and determination to achieve this from start to finish is satisfying and makes me proud to call myself a police officer.

What is an average day like for you?

In my current role, I am pretty much my own boss, which I really enjoy. My supervisors trust me enough to make my own decisions day-to-day. This means I can usually plan my own day around what issues are happening in the area and can take on my additional tasks that are issued out to the team.

I manage my own workload and work as part of a small team. I will also attend certain emergency 999 calls to assist my response colleagues when needed. I feel responsible for any crime that occurs in the area that I cover and will do all I can to tackle them as they arise. I am also a visible and accessible contact for the local community.

What are the different types of jobs you’ve had to deal with?

I have been to nearly every type of incident imaginable and met people from all walks of life. They can range from neighbour disputes over parking, people in a mental health crisis, to attending a sudden death or arresting someone of suspicion of murder. Police officers don’t always need to enforce the law, sometimes they are required to act as social workers or even to just be a shoulder to cry on.

I have also been a part of large-scale policing operations around the UK, namely the Queens’ funeral and the Kings’ coronation in Central London, as well as COP26 in Glasgow.

What departments have you worked in throughout your career?

Like many probationary police officers, I began my careers working on a Northampton response team for the first two and a half years, out of Weston Favell. I was then selected to take part in Operation Lily which focused on crime, antisocial behaviour and arresting wanted offenders on warrants in Northampton town centre.

A year later, I successfully became a part of the Priority Area Team (PAT Team) covering the Northampton area. This team took a proactive approach in tackling issues such as drug dealing, violent offenders, organised crime, criminals using the roads, intelligence gathering and safeguarding vulnerable people.

I later joined the Northampton Neighbourhood Policing team, eventually moving to the Daventry Neighbourhood Team where I currently work. The neighbourhood teams tackle locally identified problems set by the local community with long term problem solving used to tackle the more complex issues.

What would you say to someone who is considering joining Northamptonshire Police?

Be prepared to be challenged in many ways – it can be a steep learning curve so be ready for some ups and downs. Northamptonshire is a diverse place to work in so any type of prior customer service experience will help get you off to a good start. The training will give you the knowledge, and time in the role will give you the confidence and experience you need to develop. It can be a hugely rewarding role with plenty of scope for personal development.

Interested in becoming a police officer?

If PC Whelan's story has made you interested in becoming a police officer or you want to find out more, take a look at what it takes to join us or view all our current vacancies.