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As a young boy, PC Jon Cowell would sit and listen in awe as his father Sergeant Jim Cowell shared with him all the exciting things he had done that shift to keep people safe. Jon’s dream of

becoming a PC came true when he joined the force in 2012 and he now serves with B Relief in Darlington. He said the recruitment process was “tough, but I suppose it has to be to make sure

that you’re the right person for the job” and he has never looked back. Describing the job as exciting, varied and rewarding he hopes to follow in his dad’s footsteps and work towards

becoming the next Sgt Cowell. READ MORE:Rob Harcourt's girlfriend announces 'ray of sunshine' pregnancy as scaffolder dies in tragic accident In following in his father's

footsteps, Jon, from County Durham, said: "My dad was a police officer for 28 years and I always used to listen to his stories and be fascinated by them. As I grew up I realised I

wanted to keep people safe too. "No two days are ever the same. You never know what job you will get dispatched to next, it could be anything from a concern for safety to an ongoing

burglary and everything in between. Night shifts are usually busy and full of surprises." Speaking on some of the cases he's had to deal with in his short career, Jon continued:

"As an example of never knowing what you might deal with, I remember during COVID a neighbour ringing in saying that next door had people round therefore breaching the lockdown

restrictions. "As I walked into this person’s house I found about 20 people in the kitchen doing the Macarena dance. They were suitably dealt with – once I had pinched myself to realise

I wasn’t dreaming." He continued: "The thing I like best about the job is the variation, the excitement and the teamwork - your shift becomes like an extended family. But I also

think it’s important that anyone who is thinking of joining the police is aware of what is actually involved. "It’s so easy to get focused on the fun side of policing, the blue lights,

running around, arresting people but there’s much more to it. You are often dealing with people in a mental health crisis, and can have cancelled rest days at short notice and lots of

paperwork too - that being said, it’s a varied career with lots of different opportunities in different areas." READ NEXT: