Meet your Fed reps: an interview with Sid Carr

13 June 2024

Suffolk Police Federation rep PC Sid Carr fulfilled an ambition when he followed in his father’s footsteps by becoming a roads policing officer.

Sid knew early in his policing career he wanted to work in the Suffolk Police roads unit after being influenced by his dad, Paul.

Now he has been a traffic cop for over five years, and he has not looked back.

Sid said: “I’m glad I joined the service roughly 10 and a half years ago - I’m still really happy being a police officer.

“My highlight was becoming a roads policing officer. It’s something I always wanted to do and follow in the footsteps of my father, Paul Carr.

“He was a roads policing officer in Suffolk as well, so it was nice to take that up five years ago. Both of my parents were police officers in Suffolk and most of their friends were police officers.

“I spent a lot of time with traffic cops, with my dad and his friends and hearing all their stories.

“I was probably a bit anti-police when I was a teenager, as I suspect many sons of police officers are.

Suffolk Police Federation rep PC Sid Carr.

“I joined the military and then I thought I’ll follow them and join the police.”

Sid spent five years as an aircraft engineer in the Royal Navy based in Yeovil before joining the police, and said there was some crossover between the roles.

“You’ve got to think on your feet,” he said. “When you’re dealing with an incident on a fast road you’ve got to make dynamic risk assessments the whole time you’re there.

“As an engineer, you’re making quick-time decisions to solve problems and get the aircraft back in the air.”

Sid was elected as a Fed rep towards the end of 2022. As a roads policing officer, he has naturally gravitated towards that line of representation for the Fed.

And he said reps have a key role in helping and supporting members in difficult times, particularly if they are facing conduct issues.

“I’ve never needed the Federation but I know people who have,” he said.

“They’re really key in helping members and helping police officers, and it’s something I wanted to get involved in.

“I want to help where I can and hopefully try to help protect people, particularly around the roads policing side of things.

“If they are ever involved in something that’s unfortunate, hopefully I can help them out.”

He added: “People should be looked after because, unfortunately, the job doesn’t always look after people.”

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