Interviewing David Shaw, Chief Constable of West Mercia Police

As part of a project in November 2012, myself and a group of aspiring journalists produced a student magazine called Fresh. For one article, I interviewed the Chief Constable of West Mercia Police, David Shaw, to write a story encouraging young people to enter the Police Force. Here is the finished article:

Chief Constable, David Shaw, of West Mercia Police: Why I Love Working Within The Police Force

This week, Fresh magazine talked to David Shaw, the Chief Constable of West Mercia Police. He’s eager to inspire young people to enter the Police Force in the next few years. We've talked to him about what made him become a Police Officer and what he enjoys most about his career. He also gave advice on what skills and qualities he likes to see recruits have.

David began his Police career at the age of nineteen, when he joined West Midlands Police. He has served within a wide range of areas in the force. David began his career as a Police Constable and worked his way up to Assistant Chief Constable. During his time at West Midlands Police, he worked alongside the Force Inspectorate and Operational Planning. David joined West Mercia Police as Deputy Chief Constable in 2008 and was appointed Chief Constable last year. Overall, David has over thirty years of experience within the Police force.

David discussed how he hadn’t always wanted to join the Police. “Unlike some people it wasn’t always going to be my life’s work”, the Chief Constable explained. “I wasn’t one of these kids that grew up watching every Police programme, reading every detective story.” David went on to state what encouraged him to join the Police. His reasons were that it contained action, team work, uniform service and he liked the idea of excitement. The Chief Constable described what he felt like after working within the Police for a month: “I was literally going home every single day on a buzz. I felt like I fitted.”

We asked David what he enjoyed most about his job before becoming a Chief Constable. “I loved being Detective Chief Inspector because you’re working with the most dangerous people”, David replied. “I investigated murders and rapes, kidnaps, bomb making - an extraordinary range of things.” The Chief Constable then told us about another important job he’d performed: “In the West Midlands, I was in charge of Crime and Counter Terrorism. So you really are dealing with the most extreme end of things, including some really dangerous terrorist plots.” Ultimately, David stated that variety is what he has enjoyed most about the Police. “There’s a chance to do different things and spread your wings and be pushed.”

There are a number of skills and qualities the Chief Constable believes a Police Officer needs. “I think you need to have a strong sense of right and wrong”, David stated. “I also believe you’ve got to be very resilient. You’ll see some really evil things and you’ll think how did that person do that to another person. But you also see fantastic members of the public.” The Chief Constable explained that there are times when being a Police Officer is really tough, but you’ve got to find a way to deal with it. “What’s really important is that you’ve got to keep your humanity”, David advised.

The Chief Constable went on to describe how important communication is when performing duties as a Police Officer. “Communication is massive. It’s even more important than being physically strong”, David explained. “You’ve got to be emotionally intelligent. You need to be able to read people. The best cops are brilliant at people skills.” Fundamentally, the Chief Constable stressed how important it is to be able to read a situation and handle it in a calm and effective way.

David also gave us some advice, in regards to what young people should do if they aspire to be part of the Police force. “Find out as much as you can, because it isn’t like films and television”, David suggested. “Speak to friends or family who have been in the Police or go down to your local Police station.” Joining the Police Specials was another piece of advice. This is where members of the public volunteer in their spare time to help police their local community. “You get the same powers and equipment. You get really good training now, you’ll work with a team of officers and it gives you the best insight”, the Chief Constable emphasised. He also explained that voluntary work shows how dedicated and passionate an individual is.

The preferred age of a Police Officer recruit was discussed with the Chief Constable: “It’s not about age. It’s about what you’ve done with your life. You need to know yourself and have a degree of maturity.” David explained how the Police force is extremely mixed in age and it depends on the individual whether they are suitable to become a Police Officer. “Our recruit selection is smart enough to detect who is ready and who is not”, David pointed out.

We all know that young people have a negative representation in the media when it comes to crime. The interview closed with David sharing his opinion on the subject: “There’s a dreadful misrepresentation of young people in the press, on television and in the media.” The Chief Constable continued to speak positively of the younger generation, “I don’t think there’s a moral collapse within young people. Many are growing up to be fantastic members of society.” 

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Whilst at West Mercia Police Headquarters, I also interviewed David Shaw about the Police and Crime Commissioner Elections, for a Kidderminster Shuttle blog post. If you would like to read this story, click here.

Abbey Hartley