When Tim Davis’ store closed at the start of the first national Lockdown, he saw an opportunity to devote more of his time to serving his community.
Tim, a manager of an Argos store, is also an Essex Police special constable, volunteering his spare time with Harlow Local Policing Team.
Between March 27 and June 5, Tim volunteered 300 hours dedicated to helping to keep the Harlow area safe – an average of 30 hours a week, rather than his usual six.
Tim joined the force as a volunteer last year.
"I'd like to thank my colleagues at Argos for their support with my journey joining Essex Police as a special constable, in addition to my day job", he said. "My commitment to serve my local community fuelled my decision to undertake this new role. I'm proud to be working with the police the Harlow area to support the important work they do.
“My shift really used the opportunity to drive my development. I completed my personal development plan during this time as all the officers made sure that I achieved everything I needed to, such as making arrests, taking statements, attending car crashes and reports of domestic violence and sudden death, and, of course, lots of patrolling and speaking to members of the public.”
Tim says he was always interested in the police and thought it would be a rewarding way to give his spare time back to the community.
“Working as a Special is very flexible around my day job. But the reason why I love it is because I can support our local communities and make a difference to the town I work and live in. I also wanted to better my skills with confidence and knowledge and become a stronger person in general.
“I feel valued by my policing team in Harlow and, likewise, I value what they have done for me to teach me new skills and progress my development. I love the feeling of knowing that, when I walk into the station, they enjoy having me there as additional support to the team. They treat me as if I am one of the full-time officers and truly part of the team.
“But my day job as a store manager brings skills to my special constable role as well, such as handling difficulties with the public, managing people and expectations, handling conflict, setting out objectives and taking ownership of tasks. As a manager, I have many other transferable skills which I can use in my Specials role and which make me a strong person within the force. One of them is interviewing and I have helped with assessments of prospective Specials. Hopefully, all of this will help me to progress to the rank of Special Sergeant soon.”
For more breaking news, local headlines and features, ‘like’ our Facebook page.
We also have a Twitter account: @EppingFGuardian
Follow us to keep up-to-date with news in Epping Forest.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here