‘I did my work experience at Scunthorpe police station ... now I am a Superintendent’
SUPT JENNY BRISTOW HAS COME A LONG WAY IN HER POLICING CAREER
A SUPERINTENDENT with 20 years of experience has come a long way in her policing career, but is still embarrassed about getting her foot caught in a seatbelt as a Special Constable.
Supt. Jenny Bristow, from Scunthorpe, always wanted to join the force and started out with work experience at a police station aged just 15 as part of the Lifestyle Challenge.
Since then, she’s joined Humberside Police and is now head of command of the Specialist Operations Unit (SOU) which includes firearms and the Dog Section.
Describing how things have changed for women since she first joined, she said: “When I first started as an officer, I think some of the men in the team would try to protect me because I was smaller than them.
“Soon after, they saw me getting stuck in and getting on with the job so that quickly stopped.
“As I progressed through the ranks, I started to notice that I was one of the only women working their way up, especially in meetings where I sometimes felt a lone voice.
“However, nowadays, it feels a lot different.
“As a female officer, I used to hold back because I didn’t want to bother people of rank who I knew were very busy.
“So, my advice to anyone who might be thinking this themselves is simple – ask!
“If people are too busy, they will tell you, but they will still offer you help by recommending someone else who may be able to assist. “Being asked is actually a big confidence boost.”
Explaining how she started out in her career, Supt. Bristow said: “At the age of 15, I was fortunate enough to take part in a week of work experience at Scunthorpe Police Station and that boosted my determination to follow a career in policing.
“I went on to study Law and Criminology at university to help with this.
“Being the cautious person I am, I joined as a Special before making a definitive decision while also working in a 9-5 job.
“From doing this, I decided that I did want to be a police officer.
“I wanted to aim high with my career, so I completed a masters level degree in Business and Management.
“I did this because I wanted to give myself a base for progression to management level.”
She added: “I’ve always been someone who cares and sticks up for those who might not be able to do it themselves, which I think came from my parents always telling me to look out for my younger sisters while we were growing up.
“So, when I was choosing my career, policing seemed like a good choice for me, it looked interesting, and it had a lot of different opportunities.”
Having such a high-ranking position isn’t always easy, but Supt.
Bristow said the most important things is to “stay calm, listen and ask”.
She said: “Any time an issue may arise, I try my best to listen, take in what I am being told, and then do some fact-checking.
“In moments like that, I think it is really important to remember that people make mistakes and it’s vital that we listen without making assumptions.
“Consequently, we are then able to learn from the situations.
“I’m also not afraid to ask questions when I don’t understand something, which is also key to being in the role.”
When asked about one of her unforgettable moments from her career, Supt. Bristow said: “There’s a moment that is particularly memorable but also my most embarrassing.
“While working as a Special in Scunthorpe, we had pulled up in our van after reports of people running away from a burglary.
“As I began to jump out of the van, I somehow managed to get my foot caught in the seatbelt (I still have no clue how that happened to this day).
“Needless to say, I fell headfirst onto the grass and did not catch up with my colleagues.”
Supt. Jenny
Bristow
I’ve always been someone who cares and sticks up for those who might not be able to do
it themselves