Behind the badge

Editorial: Emily Wan

Photography: Danielle Ford

Acting Senior Sergeant Rachel Shentzer

Graduated: 25 February 2011

Station: Chelsea Police Station

Why did you join Victoria Police?

I'd always wanted to join since I was a teenager. After school I studied early childhood teaching and soon after graduating decided it wasn’t what I wanted to do. So I started a media degree and worked part-time writing the morning and afternoon traffic reports for radio journalists. When my kids were two and four, because I didn’t already have enough on my plate, I thought it was a really good idea to join Victoria Police. I remember saying to my family that I'd always wanted to be a police officer, and being told to stop talking about it and just do it.

Tell us about your career.

My training station was Doncaster, which was great as I got exposure to semi-rural areas because we'd cover Warrandyte when that station was closed. You could go from a shoplifter at Doncaster shopping centre to a fire in a bushland area. Once I was confirmed I worked at Caulfield Police Station. I then went on to Bayside and Dandenong stations where I did sergeant upgrading before I got my sergeant position at Moorabbin in 2020. Now I’m upgrading at Chelsea and hope to get a senior sergeant position.

Do you have a career goal at Victoria Police?

I’d definitely love a management role. I’ve been lucky to receive upgrading opportunities and a secondment to the Victoria Police Monitoring and Assessment Centre (VPMAC). I didn’t know how I’d go at the VPMAC, as being at a station is all I've ever known, but I learned a lot in the intelligence space. That experience has encouraged me to apply for senior sergeant positions and not just operational officer in charge positions.

What's one of the most memorable jobs you've worked on?

When I was a senior constable at Bayside in 2017, I was tasked with assisting in the execution of a warrant at an address where a man was hoarding animals. He had surrendered nine dingoes already, however when we attended, we found a further seven dingoes, two crocodiles, goannas, a rat kangaroo as well as exotic birds, geese, ducks, and domestic dogs and cats. It was the first time I had seen some of these animals up close, maybe a bit too close because a crocodile suddenly snapped at the glass and splashed water out of the tank. I jumped a mile, much to the amusement of my colleagues. Pleasingly, the dingoes were much friendlier. It wasn’t the type of job we’d usually attend on the van.

What's it like working at Chelsea Police Station?

Chelsea's fantastic and the crew here are a dream to work with. In summer, it’s flat out because we’ve got everybody coming from everywhere to enjoy the beautiful beaches. We make a big effort to task units to the beach from the morning so we can knock any antisocial behaviour on the head. Southern Metro Region, where Chelsea is located, has had some specific crime challenges recently that we’ve worked hard to tackle because we want everyone to be safe while living in or visiting this area.

What's the most rewarding part of your job?

Getting a good result for a victim is definitely one of the most rewarding parts of this job. I really enjoy working with our members too. You learn a lot from them because not all new members are 19-year-olds, some of them are 45-year-olds with previous careers as geologists, teachers, pilots — the list goes on. I love hearing about their past careers and seeing what they bring to the job. The diversity of the people you get to work with and the diversity of the job are very rewarding. I just love that.