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Why did you join the Police Service?

It might sound like a cliché but I genuinely joined the job to make a difference. Obviously I was also drawn to the variety and the camaraderie but fundamentally I hate to see people victimised, preyed upon and taken advantage of. I believe there is something noble in standing up for others and helping them to get justice. 
 

What do you enjoy most about your role as an Neighbourhood Police Officer and as a member of the Search & Rescue Team? 

The best part of my role is the sheer variety. My job takes me all over Northern Ireland and occasionally further afield. One day I could be answering 999 calls, speaking in Schools, running work experience groups, or cycling through Galliagh. The next day I could be abseiling down buildings, squirming through caves, rescuing people on mountains or patrolling beaches on a quad. No two days are alike. There can’t be many jobs out there where you simply cannot answer; ‘what does your average day look like?’. 

It might sound like a cliché but I genuinely joined the job to make a difference

Constable Murphy , Police Service of Northern Ireland
Constable Murphy
Constable Murphy Search and Rescue Team PSNI

What do you find most challenging?

The Police is a challenging job no matter what role you are in. Given the nature of what we deal with the stakes are always high and sometimes even life or death. A front line uniformed Police Officer needs vast amounts of knowledge and can never stop learning. Therefore my biggest challenge is staying on top of this knowledge in my Neighbourhood Policing Team role whilst also maintaining and developing my skills in my Search and Rescue roles such as; Industrial Height Access, Swift Water Rescue Technician,  Mountain Rescue, Cave Rescue, Protestor Removal, Protestor Removal at Height, Advanced Water Technician, Flood Incident Manager, Working at Height Instructor, and on-call SAR Coordinator. But I wouldn’t have it any other way.

What do you hope to achieve in your career?

I’ve never been motivated by money or climbing the ranks so I have no lofty long term goals. I have a busy home life with a wonderful wife and three kids and I’ve an active varied job which I love and which challenges me. I have already done more than I could have believed so at the minute life seems like a whirlwind and I’m just hanging on and seeing where it takes me next.