“Police career is what you make of it”

PC Esther Carroll joined Bedfordshire Police in 2002 and has committed her policing career to protecting vulnerable victims of domestic abuse, honour based violence, forced marriage and female genital mutilation. She has received two Chief Constable’s Commendations for her Forced Marriage investigations and a ‘True Honour’ award by the Iranian and Kurdish Women’s Right Organisation.

Esther is retiring this month and she took some time to reflect on her incredible career and contribution to the force.

Before I joined the police I tried a number of career paths, Although they weren’t what I was looking for in my life, the experience definitely helped me with being the best police officer I can be.

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“I’m running to raise money to support child victims of crime.”

I’m a runner anyway – I haven’t started running because of the marathon. When I stopped smoking years ago I joined a running club, and haven’t looked back.

The London Marathon on 28 April will be my eighth marathon but my first time running London – my first was Edinburgh and I absolutely hated it, I just wanted to finish and was determined to do better the next time!

It’s never too late to join

I became a police officer at the grand old age of 49. Some people were finishing their careers after serving 30 years, just as I was starting mine – it’s never too late to join.

I wanted to be a police office since I was a kid but when I tried to sign up at 16, I was told I wasn’t tall enough, as you used to have to be over 6ft. I then went down a different career path studying theatre management at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA) and worked in theatres and opera houses across the world. I loved my job, but everytime I passed a police officer I felt jealous, that it was something I’d never done. One day I thought to myself do I want to finish my life having never tried it. I started the recruitment process, fully expecting to be rejected because of my age, but soon my dream became a reality and I’ve never looked back.