Meet some of the people working Christmas Day to keep our communities safe

Opening presents, tucking in to turkey, popping open the champagne, and spending precious time with loved ones. 

It’s a Christmas routine that will sound so familiar for many, but for others who celebrate Christmas their routine will look very different as they don their helmets and radios or headsets and uniform.

Meet just three of #TeamSWP who will be working this Christmas Day, keeping south Wales safe.

Jordanne Jones is a response officer based in Barry. She said:

"I’ll be working the day shift this year, from 7am to 4pm – last year I was nights on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.

"My first Christmas in policing was last year, and like most shifts the team made all the difference. We hosted a ‘pot luck’ on Christmas Eve where each of the team brought in a different plate and we had a Christmas buffet; of course this was very much snack style as you can never plan for a hot meal as we never know what calls will come in and when. We had Christmas films and music on in the background in the station and everyone got into the festive spirit.

"I’m off on Christmas Eve this year, so I’m looking forward to spending that day with my husband and our family. I will also see my family after work on Christmas Day and hope that someone has remembered to plate up a dinner for me with all the trimmings!

"Similar to last year, our team have arranged a pot-luck breakfast. Having those little things to look forward to makes a big difference for those working at a time when most others aren’t. Then I’m back in on Boxing Day working at the Cardiff City v Plymouth match.

"So there isn’t much downtime but I don’t really mind. But if I could ask one thing of the public it would be to know their limits and to be kind and considerate to others. Not everyone is able to be celebrating with their families, so a little bit of kindness, especially those who are working to keep others safe, really goes a long way." 

Superintendent Jason Rees heads up the Public Service Centre (PSC), where your calls for help and reports of crime are handled.

"This year I’m working the evening shift covering the force on Christmas night, so from 7pm to 7am on Boxing Day. I’ve worked a number of Christmas shifts throughout my career, but this will be the first one for a few years now.

"I’ve got a young family at home – three children and my wife – so it’s important that I spend as much of the day as I can with them. I’ll get to see them opening presents and have Christmas dinner with them but then afterwards thoughts will be on getting to work for the night. The children are still young, so while I will be working I do feel lucky that I’ll get to be there for those magical moments, but it is difficult to have leave just when everyone is in the thick of the celebrating.

"Going to work on Christmas Day when you know most other people are home and enjoying can be tough, but actually I think there’s an element of pride to that as well. Policing doesn’t stop and Christmas Day is like any other day, there’s always the potential that people will need our help and support. And you come to work to make a difference, whether that’s Christmas Day or any other day of the year, you’re here to do your best for those who need help.

"Everyone in the room will be supportive of each other and we’ll try and make it as festive as possible. We always plan ahead to make sure Christmas and Bank Holidays etc are properly resources for the calls we get, and I my role as head of the department is to ensure that everyone working, doing a very critical job, is thanked, feels appreciated, and is supported to give the absolute best service that they can to our communities.

"Everyone who works in the PSC (Public Service Centre) has families and lives outside of work, and they are coming in to do an important job, and leaving their families at home on what is a really special day for so many, so we try to make it as festive and Christmassy as possible all while keeping sight of the fact they’re here to do a really important job." 

Helen Stuckey is an Incident and Risk Resolution officer in the Public Service Centre. As well as handling calls from the public she is responsible for dispatching officers to incidents. She said:

"I’m working the morning shift, 8am until 6pm. I’ve worked more Christmas than I can remember. I’ve got no children to consider – well apart from a furry one who of course counts! – but we have elderly parents on each side. But we both have siblings so they will be taken care of which is the main thing.

"I’m also working Boxing Day, so my celebrations will be after that. When everybody’s just about had enough, I’ll be ready to enjoy! I’m a vegetarian so I’m not too bothered about missing Christmas dinner, but my other half does eat meat and is also off for the whole Christmas week, so he is gutted that I’m working.

"But it tends to work out, I’ll have time off afterwards and we’ll go out with friends and things so it’ll will be fine. We still have a Christmas it just looks a little different and we do it at a different time.

"Working on Christmas day can be good fun; everyone’s always jolly and wanting to make the best of it, there’s always plenty of food and treats, so while it’s not the traditional Christmas it can still be really lovely.

"The demand can be hit and miss, it can be very quiet at points, but it does tend to escalate throughout the day – by the time everyone’s had their fill of food and alcohol, and maybe spent more time with people they might not normally spend that much time with – we do often see it get busier. You just never know how it will pan out, but I’ve seen it all over the years in this role.

"The one thing Christmas Day will always bring is variety, we will get all manner of calls. But I really don’t mind being in; in many ways it’s just another day and the need for our services doesn’t just go away because it’s Christmas."