Fed member supporting the West Midlands public in police staff and Special roles

20 August 2024

With two separate roles within West Midlands Police, Natalia Kotowska credits her desire to be part of a large institution with national importance as the motivation behind her above-and-beyond dedication to the Force.

Natalia doubled her policing duties when she became a Special Constable last year having enjoyed a day job as a dispatch officer at West Midlands Police since December 2021.

Before taking on these dual responsibilities, Natalia never had any specific plans of taking on one job in the police, let alone two. In fact, when she began life in the UK after moving to Hertfordshire from Poland in June 2005, it was the Army which was initially the object of her ambitions.

“In my personal life, I’m a very creative person, and I like being free to do what I want. But in my professional life, I have always liked the idea of being in a big structure with order and regiment, and within that, still having something unique to offer,” she said.

“I was really interested in the Army, but couldn’t get any further than an open day – I was told I wouldn’t be eligible to join as I wasn’t a British citizen at the time. It was disappointing because, in my mind, that’s what me being in that big structure looked like.”

After time in jobs such as acquisitions and administration and on career breaks spent travelling following this setback, Natalia was turned on to the prospect of a police dispatch role.

Natalia (centre) receiving her Chief Constable’s Commendation.

Despite not having a wealth of knowledge at first, Natalia says the more she learnt about what the position would entail, the more she envisioned herself as a key cog in a fast-paced and relentless machine.

She continued: “It might not be the first job you think of in the police, but I realised it would definitely be a way of getting that work environment I wanted.

“I’ve really liked it so far and the insight I’ve gained into an organisation like the Force and how it works, especially behind the scenes, has been very pleasing for me.”

Within her role deploying officers and overseeing the distribution of police resources, Natalia has become accustomed to all the quirks of working for an emergency service – the demands, the obstacles and, not least, the shift patterns, where she has settled into a six-days-on, four-days-off routine.

Job satisfaction

As someone intent on using their free time for maximum fulfilment, the 31-year-old has long had an enthusiasm for volunteering, and in February 2023, she added a significant commitment to her gap of rest days when she completed Special Constabulary training.

This, she says, has not overwhelmed her life with all matters policing, but rather enhanced the job satisfaction she already had.

“I was aware of the role of a Special Constable even before I started as a dispatch officer, but it has become more of an obvious opportunity since. I’ve volunteered in many projects and I’ve always found it more rewarding when you can do it for free. However much I enjoy my day job in the police, I can take that even further as a Special.”

Based in Aston, Natalia’s Special duties have mostly seen her attached to the area’s response team, becoming the recipient of instructions she would usually be on the opposite end of in West Midland Police’s control room – something she reveals took some getting used to.

“It was a bit weird at first,” she said. “Getting told what to do and where to go and sometimes, although the dispatcher is just doing things their own way, thinking ‘I would have done or said that differently’.

“But it definitely works. I already had good knowledge of the same areas, so that has helped a lot. My Special shifts follow on from my day job shifts in the Force’s 24-hour calendar, so I’m working with C-Unit officers on dispatch and then D-Unit officers as a Special."

Greater understanding

Away from practical benefits, the way in which her two Force posts align has, perhaps more importantly, given Natalia a greater understanding of her colleagues – particularly the ones out on the streets of Birmingham.

“Aston is a busy place and there’s always demand on the police. Before starting as a Special, it was easier to get a bit impatient with response officers when I’d be on dispatch. You don’t have eyes on the situation they’re in and it can lead you to wonder what the hold-up is,” she added.

“Now I’ve seen what it can be like for myself, I can appreciate officers being stuck on a job. So, that’s a big positive impact of one of my positions on the other.”

Natalia went on to discuss the reality of being a Special in more detail.

“We all need to do right by the public – that’s the most important thing. They see Specials as the same as any regular officer because they can’t tell the difference from a uniform.

“That can feel like quite a lot of pressure, but what makes it easier is that colleagues and sergeants are very supportive. They also see you [Specials] as the same, but in a way that makes you feel valued, not pressured.

I really enjoy working on my unit because of the people I’m with.”

Chief Constable’s Commendation

When pushed for a highlight of her time in the Special Constabulary so far, something was already fresh in mind – the recent Chief Constable’s Commendations ceremony, held at Villa Park on Friday 19 July.

As part of the commendation awards, West Midlands officers involved in a serious crowd disorder at a football match were recognised. Together with mutual aid, the officers delivered an exceptional response to disturbances at the same venue, when Aston Villa played at home to Legia Warsaw in the Europa Conference League last November.

In violent scenes, Legia fans attacked police with a range of missiles including bottles and bricks. Natalia is not only Polish but her home city is Warsaw so she played an instrumental role in communicating with the supporters so they would cooperate with law enforcement on the night.

She translated police instructions into Polish as well as liaising with fans who had suffered injuries and who had been taken into custody.

“It was a very intense few hours but the entire police unit was outstanding. I think I did well personally, too. Some fans were more willing to listen to me when they realised I was Polish and actually from Warsaw,” she revealed.

“It was an honour to be part of the team receiving the commendation award. Everyone played their part that night and I was happy to play mine.”

Special Constabulary

Having had a taste of public order policing, Natalia says she is interested in these sorts of tasks becoming a regular fixture within her Special Constabulary responsibilities moving forward.

She also looked to the future as a whole, underlining her optimism towards the current landscape of her Force duties.

“I am really liking where things are at right now, in both of my police roles. They work so well together.

“I’ve never had a job I’ve enjoyed as much as being a Special in particular. I would honestly recommend it to anyone.

“To some people, it might sound strange that I devote so much of myself to the police force, but I am so excited for what lies ahead,” she ended.

READ MORE: Call for all attacks on officers to be prosecuted.