Police Constable Kristine Grzibovska

I was born in 1999 in Riga, Latvia and have been raised in a Russian speaking family. Throughout my childhood I learned Latvian, Russian and Ukrainian. I moved to England in 2011 and had to learn English while at secondary school which proved to be a challenge. However, this forced me to learn the language a lot quicker and I achieved good GCSE results.

Since secondary school I aspired to join Kent Police. I always admired officers for their selflessness and bravery. In 2014 Kent Police provided an opportunity for secondary school students to complete a two-week work experience programme with them, I took the opportunity without a second thought. Back then I was a shy foreign girl who could not speak English properly, yet officers were welcoming and supportive. I continued to work to obtain the knowledge and experience needed to join the police. This experience not only helped me to find my passion, but it has also guided me away from mixing with the wrong crowd.

In sixth form I completed Public Services BTEC, and Sociology A-level. These two subjects gave me an opportunity to go to university and complete bachelor’s degree in policing: criminal investigation. Although the knowledge I acquired at that stage provided a great insight into policing, I did not want to stop there. I decided to push it further and have completed a master’s degree in research. Through determination I have conducted research into the value of covert human intelligence sources and have produced a research paper. After completing my degrees, I decided that it was time to join Kent Police and gain the experience.

After six months of training at the Kent Police College, I was a more confident in my abilities to become a police officer; to become one of the people I always looked up to. Going into the local policing team I was nervous and worried that I would not fit in due to the language barrier or my background. However, it was not the case. I have joined a good team, full of great officers who by their inclusiveness and support picked my confidence up, preparing me for my career ahead.

I aspire to gain as much knowledge and experience as I can to provide the best service to the public by protecting the vulnerable and detecting crime.