It is important that the police service reflects the communities it serves not just in terms of identity but also in attitude.

We are always looking for people with exceptional skills who are able to quickly build a rapport with the person in front of them, regardless of their background.

We have all encountered people who have the ability of breaking down stereotypical social barriers and instilling confidence.

These are the people you want to help you and are the ones who can identify with your situation and respond to your needs accordingly.

In Lancashire Constabulary, we are strongly committed to valuing difference both in our people within the organisation and in the services we provide to our communities.

Policing isn’t just about uniformed front line police officers patrolling the streets.

We have a wide variety of roles to offer such as Police Control Room Operators who initially respond to your first contact with the police and are the decision makers who manage and control incidents ranging from reports of vulnerable missing from home to serious crime.

Our police staff work in areas such as criminal justice, online sexual exploitation, digital media investigation, crime scene, forensic science, administration, community engagement, offender management departments, victim care, etc.

These staff are often not visible to the public eye, but vitally important, working away in the background to keep the public safe and, without whom, the police service would not be able to function.

We aspire to have a highly skilled and talented workforce to deal with demand both now and in the future.

By increasing the diversity of our workforce the people of Lancashire will be reassured that they will be treated with respect and that all our decisions that affect them are proportionate and fair. A diverse workforce also bring with them a wide range of assets in terms of cultural awareness, language skills and benefit the organisation to become more innovative, capable, inclusive, approachable and ultimately provide a better service to the public.

We actively use positive action to support under-represented groups to allow them to be able to apply for a role.

Positive action is not about giving more favourable treatment to particular groups, nor is it about lowering our standards.

Positive action is a range of measures allowed under the Equality Act 2010, which can be lawfully taken to encourage and support people from under-represented groups to help them overcome disadvantages.

In Lancashire, we have a dedicated workforce representation team who focus on outreach recruitment activities and work with diverse communities within Lancashire. We will be recruiting Police Control Room Operators in the first week of October.

If you are interested in joining the police, please email our team on workforcerep@lancashire.pnn.police.uk. or alternatively visit our website: www.lancashire.police.uk/join-us/ That’s it from me for now. On behalf of the Constabulary and all my colleagues, stay safe and know that when you need us, we will be there.

Rozila Kana is the Equality & Diversity Officer at Lancashire Constabulary.