CHRIS CASEY
Age: 30 Role: Police Inspector Location: Birmingham Have you always wanted to be a police officer? Yes. But I was in no rush to sign up when I was 18. I wanted to develop so went to uni to study Criminal Justice & Policing and volunteered around my studies as a Special Constable with West Midlands Police. This just further reaffirmed my desire to do it full-time. So what made you join BTP? Like many people, I’d never actually heard of BTP. I always assumed that local police forces covered the railways too. But one of my uni lecturers regularly spoke about BTP and I got really interested in the specialist work the force does. I applied and less than a year later was passing out of training school! What exactly do Police Inspectors do? Put simply, it’s the third rank up – above constable and sergeant. Currently I’m away from the frontline on a year-long secondment to one of the train operating companies, working to improve how we work together to reduce crime. What’s the best thing about the job? I’ve really enjoyed some of the community work. In 2013, we worked with local schoolchildren to stage a drama production highlighting the dangers of the railway. We used a real train on disused sidings and had proper special effects. More than 800 kids came along to watch and everyone had such a good time and I think it really got the safety message across – much more than a boring PowerPoint presentation! Has your sexuality ever been a barrier? No. I have never experienced any form of discrimination or bullying and if I did, I’d be confident to stand up to it.
CAROLINE SPARKS
Age: 34 Role: IT Service Support Manager Location: Force Headquarters, London What does your job involve? I make sure IT is running smoothly so officers have all the tools and technology they need to fight crime on the rail network. My team focuses on computers, tablets and specialist police applications. What made you want to work for BTP? I’m from a proper police family – my dad was a senior detective and my step- mum is a PC. A friend of mine already worked for BTP and recommended I apply. I’ve never looked back. What’s the best thing about your job? There’s such a sense of purpose and teamwork here. We are all working to the same goals to protect the public and reduce crime. It’s hard sometimes, but I’m one of those people who work best under pressure. Do you think your sexuality has ever been a barrier at BTP? Not at all, BTP has an incredibly diverse workforce. I actually met my partner here and we’re getting married in the summer. So many of the guests are close mutual friends from work – it’s like one big family!