Police Scotland Youth Volunteers

Ever since I was about 12 years old, I wanted to become a Police Officer. Growing up with Detective and crime shows such as Rizzoli and Isles, Grimm, Hawaii Five-0, Sherlock, NCIS, Rookie Blue and many more, I admired them and wanted to be one of them.

When I was in high school, my father and I found a group that met every Wednesday night called Police Scotland youth Volunteers. I knew I had to join. When I first started working in the City Centre of Edinburgh, I would go straight from work and learn all about knife crime, gun crime and various other topics. I was intrigued and I had to keep going here to find out more. Through this group, I met some of the best, funniest and most genuine people I have ever met before. I gained so many new friends and I am so thankful I joined.

Every so often, a select group would get deployed and go to various events as Marshalls as an extra point of contact at the events for members of the public so that regular Police Officers could go about their normal jobs and focussed solely on fighting crime. For me, this was the best part the experience I had there. We were all given notepads, where we had to write in our day-to-day activities and at what time these things happened when on a deployment or at training. We learned exactly what the Police Officers have to keep noted in their notepads and it gave us a real insight into what was in for us when we want to apply for the Police.

My first deployment I went on was at the Edinburgh Marathon Festival starting and finishing at Arthur Seat near Edinburgh's Royal Mile and Dynamic Earth. When I was there I met the sea cadets who chose to volunteer and train in the ways of the navy and marine. While I was working, I got to learn about the differences between the Police Scotland Youth Volunteers and the Sea Cadets. We share laughs as well as experiences. Unwrapping and organising medals, we made our way and packed goody bags ready for the public to collect when they finished the race. Groups broke off to do other activities and this gave us all an opportunity to meet more people.

As the race finishers began to flood in, it was all systems go, as it were. We had to pay attention and make sure that every race finisher received a medal and a goody bag. There was an adults only race and a kids race. It was very rewarding to be working with the masses of the public but also people who are doing volunteer work like I was. Throughout the different deployments, I met and became friends with more and more people.

The most rewarding thing to do in this group was to take a trip to the Police College in Stirling where we would take a minibus and meet every volunteer group in the UK. All groups from Scotland, England and Wales drove and took transport to get to the college on time. We all checked in and were allocated rooms. This weekend was so much fun. With food provided, we also had a weekend of games to do. A contest to see what the best group was. The competitiveness of every group was suffocating. With a chance to meet different people from every walk of life, we will had one goal in common... To beat the other groups.

My group did not win but, as everyone says, it's not about the taking part that counts.

Headed by real Police Officer we received certificates and great amounts of knowledge in different topics and grew a big perspective on what Police Officers face on a day-to-day basis.

A few things to take away from this group is that you will love meeting and sharing good times with other people who want to be in the Police, and you will enjoy EVERY... SINGLE... SECOND of it.

within the same week I joined, another person did too who is, now, one of my closest friends, and I thank god that I joined. 6 years later we are still talking and meeting up for drinks and catching up once in a while. I am happy to call him my best friend.

If you are ever thinking of joining the Police and you are aged 13-25... Join this group. You will not regret and it will be one of the greatest experiences of your life.

I PROMISE YOU