Fantastic Frontliners

A Day In The Life Of A Police Officer

We met recently with PC Leah Norton to talk about her typical day as a Police Officer in Thetford. It turns out that there really isn’t a typical day but that’s one of the things she really loves about it! When asked about her decision to become a Police Officer Leah said that she really doesn’t forget that underneath the uniform we are actually

know what made her think “that’s what I want to do”. She went on to tell us that she just knew – and from the age of 13, that became her goal. She took advice from local beat officers early on and was told to gain general life experience working in retail or similar and then to apply to be a Special Constable at age 17, to give that a go and see if working for the Police lived up to the expectation. It must have as Leah was then offered a position as a Police Constable at the age of 19 and posted to Thetford where she has remained for 23 years, getting to know Thetford, its residents and the communities inside and out. Staying in the same location has enabled her to build up a huge amount of trust and rapport with local people and this connection has kept her in post and loving her job just as much today as 23 years ago. When asked about her typical day Leah replied “There truly isn’t a typical day for me or any one of the officers I work with. As an officer on the Safer Neighbourhood Team I could be manning a stall at communities”.

a community fete, going into schools to do a talk, partnership working with STAG, in the local area on the beat, backing up our emergency response officers or even being with our plain clothes officers on tasks. I love the variety that each day brings and would not want my Police career to have been anywhere other than Thetford”. years PC Norton has been called to pretty much every situation imaginable. She has trained as a Family Liaison Officer and found assisting families through their most vulnerable and devastating times to be the most rewarding thing she has ever done. Some incidents of course have been harrowing and Leah is grateful for the wider team around her to be able to talk through issues and

PC Leah Norton - our Fantastic Frontliner this month

worries. This same team which she refers to as her work family make her day every day with their camaraderie and closeness. They all know how rewarding and uplifting good outcomes can be but also of course how upsetting some incidents can be and support one another through these times. When asked about balancing a family life with work life Leah says it can be challenging as she likes to give 100% to the job as well as to her family. Her young daughter is immensely proud of Mum but does sometimes miss her at bedtimes if she is on a late shift. With a husband who has also given long service to the Police Force they have worked together to make sure home life is good for their daughter. Leah gets to walk her daughter to school most mornings and pick her up later, and takes an active role in the school’s PTA. “People just human, enjoying the same things as everyone else - summer bbq’s, days out, holidays, helping out with homework, walking the dog….” We asked Leah why she has stayed in her role as a frontline officer for so long: “I love speaking to and meeting people, helping sort situations, finding out what people’s concerns are and helping to formulate some solutions. Having been in the Force throughout my career in Thetford I have built up trust and rapport with families and Having been an officer on the frontline for 16

In answer to us wondering what she would say to anyone thinking of a career in Policing she responded “Knowing all I know now, with all the changes I have seen over the years that have reflected our changing society, if I could go back to being that young 17 year old I would choose this job and Thetford all over again. I am living my best life with this job and my family. Go for it”. Please mention the About Thetford Magazine when responding to advertisements 9