Policing runs in the family: three careers, one calling

18 December 2025

For the Hudson family, policing isn’t just a profession - it’s a thread that has run through generations, shaping childhoods, careers and values. 

For retired officer Stuart Hudson, and his two sons - branch secretary Ben and roads policing officer William (Will) - the job has defined who they are, how they see the world and what they choose to give back.

Rewind to the late 1970s, when the Stuart - now 66 and long since retired - was on the verge of becoming a teacher. He had a university place secured, a plan in place, and a life mapped out. But a single afternoon changed everything.

Recalling a day spent with a family friend who worked in the police, Stuart recalled: “He took me out in his CID car - this was before health and safety became what it is now - and I just loved it.

 

Stuart Hudson with sons William and Federation branch secretary Ben

 

“A week later, I’d cancelled all my plans and decided I was going to join the police.”

He started in the Metropolitan Police in 1977 and later moved to Suffolk around 1980, eventually completing 31 years of service. 

“I never regretted any of my time there. It was a fantastic career,” he said.

Over the years, he worked across policing, including in firearms and close protection roles - guarding prime ministers and members of the Royal Family. He still remembers the kindness of Princess Diana, who offered officers orange squash on a sweltering day.

Murders

But the case that defined his career was Operation Sumac - the 2006 investigation into the murders of five young women who worked as sex workers. 

Stuart said: “Cases like that were unheard of. It was scary, and we were stretched as a small rural force. But we knew the only chance of catching the offender was to follow the process, meticulously, and as a team.”

Though the work was traumatic and exhausting, the team secured justice. “We had to get justice not only for those women, but for their families,” he said. “And it was rewarding when we did.”

He retired as a detective chief inspector - proud of what he contributed, but mindful of how policing has changed. “I feel the Force was better resourced back then. People respected the police more. You felt like you were part of the best and biggest ‘gang’ - I’m not sure if that feeling is there anymore.”

Ben: a detective at heart

Despite being raised in a policing household, Ben admits he didn’t initially plan to follow in his father’s footsteps. 

However, working in insurance left him feeling unfulfilled. 

Camaraderie

He admitted: “Something was missing. I wanted more from my life.

“Dad had always enjoyed his career, the camaraderie. That stuck with me.”

Ben joined the police in 2004 and has now served more than 20 years - most of them focused on investigative work. 

“I always wanted to be a detective. No two days are ever the same. That’s what I loved,” added Ben, whose investigative career has spanned some of the most complex and emerging areas of crime. 

He worked on one of Suffolk’s first rape investigation teams, secured the first honour-based rape conviction in the East of England, and spent years focused on human trafficking and exploitation - work that took shape in the wake of the murders his father helped investigate.

His commitment to vulnerability-focused policing eventually brought him to Suffolk Police Federation, where he has served for 14 years and is now secretary. 

He also represents detectives at a national level. “It’s something I take very seriously. I’m proud to do it,” he said, adding that he is dedicated to improving the working environment for detectives.

Crime scene

“Investigators are exposed to vicarious trauma every day. You’re not necessarily always at the crime scene, but you’re seeing the images, listening to the accounts - the most awful things,” he said. 

“You can’t listen to someone describe sexual abuse or rape without feeling the emotion and trauma. You lose a bit of yourself each time, because the world becomes a slightly darker place.”

He is passionate about ensuring that this hidden impact is finally recognised: “We mustn’t underestimate the drip-drip effect of trauma. People need to be open about how they feel, and policing senior leaders need to understand it and take it seriously .”

Despite this, he remains proud of his career, his family, and the policing community he grew up in. 

He said: “Suffolk’s a small force. We’re a family. People still ask how Dad is. And I’m really proud of my brother - he’s making his own name.”

Will: a new generation of policing

Will, now in his late 20s, grew up in and around police stations. 

Major incident

“I remember charging around headquarters as a kid,” he said. And when adulthood came, he found himself thinking about his future. He was selling cars at the time: “I thought back to all those memories and put two and two together.”

He joined the police in early 2019 and now works in roads policing - a high-risk, high-responsibility area he loves.

“There’s something about turning up at a major incident and people looking to you to manage it. You have to be methodical. I like that responsibility,” he said.

But the job is far from light work. 

“The risk is huge. It’s one of the most dangerous areas of policing,” he continued. “When things go right, it’s incredibly rewarding - especially taking dangerous drivers into custody. But when it goes wrong, it hits hard. I was involved in a fatal pursuit. It stays with you.”

Like his father and brother, he recognises the challenges posed by resource constraints and demand, adding: “We’re responsible for a massive area. It’s difficult. But we’ve got a great team.”

Detective

Will is now carving his own path and has ambitions for promotion and specialist roles. “I’m competitive - I always said I wanted to beat Dad,” he joked. 

He’s also engaged to another police officer, who is training to become a detective, making the family’s policing legacy even stronger.

A shared passion for policing

Despite decades between them - and very different careers - the three officers share a deep respect for the job and for each other.

Stuart never pushed his sons to join. “I never encouraged them - I just wanted them to be happy. But we’re a family of public service workers. My wife worked in the NHS. It’s what we do.”

He says he is immensely proud of what both his sons have achieved. “They’ve done brilliantly. I’m proud of them both.”

READ MORE: Read more in our latest Federation magazine - out now!