She’s used to tackling on the rugby pitch and now she’s getting ready to tackle crime – that’s PSCO Robyn Allen, Royston’s Safer Neighbourhood Team’s latest recruit.
Although she is new to the town,the 22-year-old is certainly familiar with the pace of life and feel of the place – she hails from the small Welsh town of Abergavenny.
“My hometown is quite similar,” she says. “It’s a little town and rural on the outskirts. It’s quite a pretty town like Royston. When I grew up there I didn’t fully appreciate it, but it’s really nice.”
Robyn studied criminology at Swansea University before getting a job in a coffee shop back home, which she says offered endless opportunities for people watching.
It’s this love for meeting new people and hearing their stories that she enjoys about her new role.
She says: “You get to talk to a lot of people. I really like it here, and I enjoy the Royston banter. There’s a lot of community focus. People here have been really friendly, I think sometimes in places like London they don’t really respect the police, but here people have been really welcoming.”
Robyn has always been interested in a career with the police, as it isn’t your run of the mill office job.
She says: “I didn’t want to be stuck in an office. I never wanted to do a job where I’d wake up and think ‘I don’t want to go to work’. This job is exciting and varied.”
Robyn, who has ambitions of becoming a regular police officer in a bigger city further down the line, will be based in the town centre covering the Meridian, Heath and Palace wards.
She will be mainly focusing on burglaries, parking issues and anti-social behaviour, as these are key concerns around the town.
As there is a small team in Royston, she will also be joining PCs in investigating crimes – something she wouldn’t necessarily be able to do if she was in a bigger set-up.
In her spare time, Robyn enjoys playing rugby, and is interested in joining the town’s ladies team. She says: “I got into it as my mum played. I support Wales, but don’t hold that against me!”
She’s also a big fan of TV cop shows like Criminal Minds and Police Interceptors, much to the hilarity of her flatmates, who claim it is all she watches.
Her boss, Insp Duncan Sales, said: “Robyn is a great addition to the team in Royston. The safer neighbourhood team does a great deal of positive work in the community, especially identifying people who may be vulnerable to crime and finding solutions to help them.
“Robyn will also be out on her beats, so she has a big role to play in being a visible deterrent to criminals. It is a very rewarding job and I am sure it is one she will enjoy.”
You can contact Robyn by email at robyn.allen@herts.pnn.police.uk, call 101 and ask for her or call her airwave radio if she is on duty – dial 01707 354192 and say the name of the officer you wish to speak to. Always dial 999 in an emergency.
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