PC retires after 30 years in Telford
In her time she has helped to deliver babies and has worked the same beat for decades, laying the first brick at a community hub.
But after 30 years, PC Nikki Scott has hung up her handcuffs for the final time, as she retires from her role on the team which looks after Donnington, Trench and the surrounding areas.
PC Scott joined what was then the West Mercia Constabulary in September 1987 as a Woman Police Constable.
She said: "Back in those days, female police constables were issued with ‘uniform handbags’ and even a smaller truncheon that could fit inside.
"We wore skirts instead of trousers, which I can assure you were not the most practical clothing to wear in our line of work."
She began her career at Wellington Police Station, working on one of the shifts providing 24/7 cover to the town answering emergency calls and dealing with a multitude of different type of incidents that the public reported.
But she said her calling has always been neighbourhood policing and she applied to become a Beat Manager at Donnington Police Station.
And it was the start of a career for life, as despite the demolition of once police station, replaced by another, PC Scott remained at Donnington until she finished her career on Friday.
The 54-year-old she has been "privileged" to work in Donnington for 27 years, and has got to know the community, now seeing the third generation of families in the town.
In August 2015, she and colleague Constable Robert Hughes, were able to help Aisha Adamu when she went into labour outside the family home in Hadley on her 35th birthday.
She said: "I have really enjoyed bring your local ‘bobby on the beat’, sadly somewhat a rarity in many parts of the country nowadays as times have changed.
"I am very proud to be and have enjoyed being a police officer and working alongside our partner agencies; schools and councils, including Wrockwardine Wood and Trench Parish Council to help make our communities better and safer for all of our residents.
"My career in the police has been full of ups and downs, dealing with many light hearted and sadly too many more serious incidents, including, almost 30 years apart, helping bring two new babies into this world.
"I also had the honour of being invited to an event at 10 Downing Street by the then Prime Minister Tony Blair, in recognition of my efforts to tackle anti-social behaviour on my beat area.
"I have also represented West Mercia Police on a fact-finding mission to Eindhoven in The Netherlands to look at local policing in Holland and diversionary tactics they were experimenting with to signpost young people away from offending behaviour; trying to turn lives around at an early stage."
PC Scott said that, along with bringing babies into the world, her proudest achievements are some of the projects she has been involved with, including launching the Donnington Lifelong Learning Centre, where she laid the first brick.
The building is now a thriving community hub, complete with cafe, offering classes and courses for people living in the area.
She said: "I am very proud of some of the things I've done in the area.
"I've also been nominated for some awards and I'm very grateful that the community put me forward for those."
PC Scott's husband Stephen was also an officer and served for 37 years himself, so the pair will both be enjoying their retirement together.
But the trained first aider will now be running one-day courses to help others learn the skill and has also qualified as a community first responder, volunteers who support the ambulance service by being first on the scene at accidents.
She said: "I leave safe in the knowledge that the area I have policed and taken care of for the best part of my 30 year career remains safe and well looked after by the members of my team that I will sadly be leaving behind; PCSO’s Rich Harrison, John Bowen, James Fox, Rachel Sanders and Alysha Dulay.
"I will still be in contact with members of the community and I still feel like there will always be a piece of me in Donnington."
It just leaves me to say for the final time, thank you for all of your support and for allowing me to be an integral part of your community.
