Name: PC Lesley Owen
Age: 42
In job: 24 years (14 years as Schools Liaison Officer)

Why did you join the police force?
From the age of about 14 I knew that I wanted to work in a more
vocational job - I wasn't particularly academic and had a big think about where I wanted to work. At the time, the Army, RAF and Navy weren't particularly open to having women join and so I decided that the police force would be a good place to start.

I joined the police cadets in 1980 and then, aged 18 ½ I joined the
regulars. I always liked the idea of a disciplined job that was hands on and I wanted to get out there and meet people and deal with different situations every day.

What do you like most about being in the police force?
People. It's as simple as that. I love meeting people and dealing with people from all walks of life.

What would you be doing if you weren't in the police force.
I don't know - I don't think I would ever do anything else. I never thought I would be doing the job this long, and I can honestly say that I have enjoyed every minute of it.

Why did you become an Schools Liaison Officer (SLO)?
I was asked by an Inspector if I could do it. At the time I had no idea what SLO's did and I thought it would be an easy job to do. It wasn't until I got involved that I realised how different it would be. It's a completely different aspect of policing and I really am passionate about it. I like young people and I love talking to them, and the best thing is that if they ask me questions, I can always get back to them and help them out.

How would you say the community benefits from your role?
It breaks down stereotypes. The kids realise that we are not all the same, and that the police have an important role to play - it challenges their perceptions of what police officers do and how they act. I hope that from working with them, it will benefit them later in life so that they are less likely to commit crime or they have a more positive idea of what the police are about.

What advice would you give to someone who wanted to become a police officer?
Do something else first. You have no idea how things are going to work out and whilst you may believe that you'll react in a certain way to something, there are other areas that you won't have a clue about. At least if you have some other experience and it doesn't work out, you have something to fall back on.

It's not a job that's for everyone. You need to have good communication skills, excellent listening skills and have common sense. You need to be a people person - you must like people.