Rookie cop Roles up sleeves for a life on the beat
GEELONG local and new police recruit Sophie Roles has been in the job just one week but already knows how much difference her job can make to other peoples’ lives.
Constable Roles spent four years completing a social work degree but she knew her true calling lay elsewhere.
When she saw a Victoria Police recruitment ad on television she began to see being a police officer as a way to harness her passion for helping others and creating change in the community.
After completing a number of social work placements at local health organisations and schools, Constable Roles said she enjoyed working with people most.
“I started looking for jobs in social work — I just wasn’t really that interested in the work. I like working with people,” Constable Roles said.
“Policing was very similar. It was about a year after I finished the degree that I saw the recruitment drive. I had family members that said it would suit me.”
Constable Roles, who is stationed at Geelong Police Station, is one of the 53 new police funded to work in the region in the past four years.
Minister for Police and Member for Bellarine Lisa Neville met with Constable Roles and six other new recruits yesterday to welcome them to Greater Geelong.
“This is another major community safety boost for Geelong — our community can expect to see more police on the street, more proactive patrols and even stronger enforcement over the next 12 months,” Ms Neville said.