Constable Devlin

Our Initiatives

Why did you join the Police Service?

I have always wanted to join the Police in Northern Ireland.

In 2010 I enrolled in a youth programme in North Belfast, and a serving police officer was one of the team leaders working with my group. Through this police officer, I was able to get a better insight into policing in Northern Ireland and all aspects of becoming a police officer. The training the student officers received seemed so broad and interesting to me.

What piqued my interest was the range of roles within the Police Service, and how I could help to make a community a better place to live by supporting the people within it and striving to keep them safe.

What do you enjoy most about your role as a Probationary Police Officer?

I have enjoyed the learning - learning about the area I now work in.

I have learnt how diverse the community is and how people live such different lives compared to my own experience. I have enjoyed putting what I have learnt in the police college into practice in order to help make the local area a safer place to live.

I have been able to speak to so many people and get an insight into different communities. The fact that every day is so different and I don’t know what I will experience is something I relish. I can never pre-empt a working day and I feel that helps me build experience and develop as a police officer.

I feel I have joined a massive family. The support and guidance I have received has been both reassuring and overwhelming.

I have been able to speak to so many people and get an insight into different communities. The fact that every day is so different and I don’t know what I will experience is something I relish. I can never pre-empt a working day and I feel that helps me build experience and develop as a police officer.

Constable Devlin , Police Service of Northern Ireland

What do you find most challenging?

I would have to say what I have found most challenging is the sheer amount of responsibility I carry as a police constable.

People need and call for police when bad things are happening in their lives and we are there to provide support and guidance in what can sometimes be terrible times. I understand that my role is to offer support and use the powers I have to help the situation. It is a big responsibility, the biggest I have ever had in my life. I have to make quick decisions that can massively impact a person’s life.

It is definitely challenging but I know the service I provide can only improve with more experience and confidence.

What do you hope to achieve in your career?

There are so many roles within the Police Service that I will look into more when I finish probation but, for now, I want to focus on learning my role to my best ability.

I hope to continue to embrace my role and to have a positive impact on the people I encounter during my daily work. If I can make someone’s bad day a little better then I will be satisfied.

Everyone should feel safe in the community they live in and I hope to play my part to make sure that is the case. The support I have received from my colleagues of all ranks has been unbelievable. I have never felt this in any job I have had in the past. The support has instilled confidence in me to carry out my job to the best of my ability. I hope I can support the people I work with as they support me.

Building relationships with different community stakeholders is a definite priority so that we can reduce crime and support victims.