One Police Community Support Officer (PCSO) has spoken about how being out and about in the community is keeping him busier than ever.

Chris Parker has been a PCSO with Derbyshire Constabulary since February and already is throwing himself into the role – taking part in a number of community events, campaigns such as Operation Sceptre, and speaking to people out and about in the Sinfin and Osmaston area.

He said: “Getting out and about, keeping moving, and meeting people are the main things I love about this job.

“It’s a wide variety of work we cover, we go to the schools, deliver inputs and educate the kids. We also assist police officer colleagues where we can, standing guard at any scenes for example.

“I also recently got to help out with Operation Sceptre, the national knife crime week of intensification, doing quizzes in schools, raising awareness in the community and I also was around to help with some of the amnesty bin locations, so there’s plenty to get involved with.”

PCSO Parker was looking for a different challenge after having a largely office-based career, including time with the NHS, Ministry of Justice and a total of nine years working in police control rooms.

When he discovered the force was recruiting PCSOs, he decided it was time to take the opportunity, make the change, and try something different.