Lauren 'shocked' to win Student Officer of the Year award

28 November 2023

A West Midlands Police Federation member thought she was being “sweetened up for a rubbish job” when told by her sergeant she’d been shortlisted for an award.

Lauren Pritchard said she was shocked to be nominated for Student Officer of the Year - and even more surprised to actually win it.

Lauren, who now works on response in Stechford, was put forward for her work in her third year rotation with CID in West Bromwich.

And she recalled the moment she was told about her nomination.

“My sergeant came up to me and said ‘ooh, Student Officer of the Year,” she said.

“I thought he was going to send me to a rubbish job and was trying to sweeten me up or something.

“I said ‘what are you on about? What are you sending me to?’.

Student Officer of the Year, Lauren Pritchard.

“I thought he was having me on, so I looked on the noticeboard and saw my name.

“I was chuffed that I’d been nominated and really quite shocked as well, because there were loads of other student officers who had been nominated.

“Even so, it was lovely to be nominated, and my sergeant said that I’d have to bring cakes in if I won.”

Indeed, a couple of months later Lauren had to stand her cake fine after receiving an email informing she’d won the award.

“It didn’t even cross my mind that anyone would nominate me in the first place, and then to win it I was really shocked,” she said. “I just didn’t expect it, but it was really nice.

“And yes, I did bring in cakes. It was around Hallowe’en so I made little mummies and dipped them in chocolate.

“You can’t escape the cake fines!”

Lauren hadn’t initially intended to join the police service, but the loss of her dad in the summer after her A Levels prompted a change in her plans.

“When I was at college I loved law,” she explained. “I studied it at GCSE and A Level.

“I had a place at Worcester University to do law after my A Levels, because I knew I wanted to do something with the law. 

“I wanted to be a solicitor, or something like that, but that summer my dad passed away.

“I withdrew my application because I thought I just couldn’t go to university in this state. I didn’t really want to go to university anyway.

“Being a solicitor I thought would be sitting at a desk, it would the same old, same old, and quite boring.

“After the situation with my dad I knew I wanted to help people."

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