Meet Alexes Mitchell

What was your background before you joined Nottinghamshire Police?

I previously worked at West Nottinghamshire College as a sports tutor for 17 years and taught a range of academic and vocational courses in Sport and Exercise at Levels 2 and 3. Before that, I worked in a local gym, and prior to that, I completed a degree in Sport at university.

What was your motivation for joining Nottinghamshire Police?

I was looking for a change from the education sector but still wanted a role where I felt as though I could make a positive impact and work closely with the public. I enjoy being part of a team and taking on new challenges so I was keen to work for an organisation that offers support and opportunities for career progression.

What does your day to day look like?

I work a 24/7 shift pattern of six days on and four days off, and no two days are the same. My role involves answering 101 and 999 calls, responding to live chats, and dealing with online reports. When a call or report comes in, I create an incident, assign an appropriate grading, and carry out checks to identify previous contact with the police. I also confirm the parties involved and identify if there are any potentially violent offenders to the officers attending the incident. I’ll then document the incident with a clear rationale to support the decisions I have made.

What do you enjoy most about your role?

I love the variety and that every day brings something different. I never know what type of calls I’ll receive and the work can range from updating an incident or transferring a call to an officer, to handling situations involving suicide risk or major road traffic collisions. I also value the teamwork and the flexibility that comes with working shifts.

Is there a particular incident which has stayed with you or where you feel as though you made a positive impact?

One call that has stayed with me involved a woman reporting a domestic assault while her partner was in the same room. She pretended to be ordering a pizza, so I had to discreetly identify her name and address using our systems and ask only closed questions to avoid alerting her partner. Officers were then able to attend quickly and arrest the suspect before she suffered further harm.

What would you say to anyone considering a role within the control room?

If you like working as part of a team in a fast-paced, busy environment where every day is different, and you can work well under pressure then I would say go for it. The job can be challenging at times, but it is rewarding, and you can make such a difference to the people you talk to.