NEWS ROCUS OFFER EXCITING CAREER OPPORTUNITIES


The country’s Regional Organised Crime Units (ROCUs) are set to benefit from many new strategic, operational and dynamic roles with the Police Uplift Programme (PUP) promising an increase in diversity, support and opportunity. And this could give officers the


chance of an exciting career challenge. ROCUs are collaborations between


officers from neighbouring forces within regions which work alongside partners from agencies such as the National


Crime Agency, the UK Border Force, Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs and the Crown Prosecution Service to disrupt and tackle the most serious organised crime including drugs and firearms offending, human trafficking and modern slavery, online child abuse, cyber and economic crime. Their work – both overt and covert – has been described as “a journey with a big ambition that needs all hands on deck”.


ROCUs actively promote diversity and


anyone can apply to join – it’s absolutely not necessary to know someone already working there to put your name forward and those with all levels of experience are welcome. There are plenty of opportunities to learn on the job once in the units and they are certainly not simply a closed shop for seasoned detectives. Given the large geographical area


they cover, ROCUs have led the way in flexing to offer agile working since the


onset of the Covid pandemic, placing great emphasis on colleagues’ wellbeing and a healthy work-life balance. If you interested, visit the secondment


page on your Force intranet, talk to someone from your HR department about the range of existing roles or secondment opportunities, or visit your regional ROCU’s website.


‘STOMACOP’ INSPIRES NEW RECRUIT


A West Midlands traffic officer who forged ahead with a policing career despite a debilitating illness has inspired a new recruit with the same condition to join the Force – and the pair have even teamed up on patrol. Mark Woodcock, affectionately


known on Twitter as ‘StomaCop’, is one of around 146,000 people in the UK to suffer from colitis – a chronic condition that leaves the colon and rectum inflamed. The 33-year-old underwent an


ileostomy last year which saw his small intestine diverted through an opening or ‘stoma’ in his abdomen. Mark was fitted with a military grade


titanium plate to protect his stoma bag when he returned to work and now uses his blog to raise awareness of colitis, show how it did not put the brakes on his career and to encourage others who fear the condition will hold them back. One of those he inspired was Luke


Jemson who contacted StomaCop on Twitter more than a year ago. The former military man reached out to Mark after he was discharged from


42 I POLICE I OCTOBER 2021


the Army only days after his diagnosis with ulcerative colitis in 2013. Mark was able to offer tips and encouragement, and Luke was sworn in as a police officer in February. The pair have now met for the first


time as Mark showed Luke the ropes on a traffic night shift. Luke said: “It’s been a really crazy


year. I was discharged from the Army just before I was meant to leave on my first deployment to Afghanistan. So it was really hard knowing that this diagnosis stopped me from doing what I had always wanted to do, which is why the support and encouragement from Mark to join the police has been amazing. “In a strange turn of events, during


my training I was a victim of burglary, and unbeknown to me at the time, the officer that came out to take my statement happened to be Mark’s wife. “I was telling the officer about my


condition, and this inspirational officer I followed on Twitter - it wasn’t until later the penny dropped!” Mark said: “One of the reasons I set up the Twitter account was to normalise


the condition and show it shouldn’t stop people from doing what they love, especially in a role like mine. “I was so lucky to have such supportive management and team around me, especially when I was having my stoma fitted. It’s great that now I can pay this forward and support Luke in any way he needs since he has joined the Force.” West Midlands Police Federation


chair Jon Nott said: “This is a truly inspirational story. Both these officers have proved that living with a condition such as this does not mean hopes, dreams and ambitions have to be put on ice.” Follow Mark’s journey on Twitter -


@stomacopWMP


Mark Woodcock (left) and Luke Jemson


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