New recruit reveals dream to be county’s first black Chief Constable

18 November 2022

“Being the county’s first black Chief Constable is my goal, it’s always been my goal and I will get there,” says determined Junior Grant, one of Nottinghamshire’s newest recruits. 

Having passed out in October, the 26-year-old reveals he has more ambition than ever to one day lead the Force.

And after growing up in Nottinghamshire in an area where crime rates are high, Junior is now vowing to build bridges with the community that shaped his childhood.

“I grew up in Sneinton, and unfortunately there was a lot of drug dealing, poverty and sex trafficking. I saw the struggle and I grew up poor but I wanted to make something of my life,” said Junior, who admits that his dream of becoming an officer stems back to being a youngster.

“I didn’t have anyone to look up to and I want to be that person. I want to be the change I always wanted to see. My passion is to inspire others and be a positive role model for local communities.”

Junior says that when he found out he had secured a place in the Force, it was ‘the happiest day’ of his life.

“My goal now is to become the first black Chief Constable in Nottinghamshire Police. It always has been and always will be, I will get there. I’m driven, hard-working and ambitious,” added Junior, who says his experience as an officer has been ‘fantastic so far’.

“When I first put on my uniform, it was a very proud moment. Being a police officer carries a lot of responsibility and, for me, this is the greatest uniform in the world to be wearing. It’s an incredible feeling being able to finally say I’m a fully-trained police officer.”

Junior wants to be visible in the local communities, with the aim to build bridges with members of the public.

“I think it’s extremely important for me to work towards changing the relationship between the police and certain communities,” Junior continued.

“I want to get alongside them, connect with them and be part of the community. I truly believe that that will not only make their lives better but it will make our jobs easier.”

Junior says that he hopes being a black officer will help some members of the public to feel more comfortable when approaching him. 

He explained: “Look, Britain is a very multicultural country and the police need to reflect that. It’s important that the Force looks like the country we’re serving, right?

“I think it really will help my mission to connect with the public, especially when I’m engaging with black and Asian communities. 

“I’m a friendly, black person and I want to build a reputation around that. I want to change the mindset of the public.”

With knife crime numbers continuing to be a huge concern nationwide - with Nottinghamshire being no exception - Junior says he wants to help show people that there is more to life than crime.

“I want to change people’s mentality. I want to show people that just because they’ve had an unfortunate start in life, it doesn’t mean the end. I want people to see that they can have a goal in life. I want to help people to strive for more than just a life of crime,” he added.

“I hope that my love for talking will work in my favour. I love people and I love talking - and I feel like I’ve really found myself in the police.”