Police Constable Leigha Ravalia

"Knowing that when you finish for the day, you have made a difference to someone’s life and have ensured they are safe and out of harm’s way."

PC Leigha Ravalia joined the Met four years ago and works as part of Safer Neighbourhoods team.

What is your day-to-day like? 

My day to day role is a mixture of fast and slow pace. When my team and I are out and about we conduct a lot of plain clothes and uniform operations to tackle drug dealing or robberies that happen in main hot spot areas. However, we also conduct a lot of community events and help local partners tackle problems on the ward by working together which is more long term partnership working.

What is the most rewarding aspect of your job? 

I’d say the most rewarding aspect is being able to help victims of crime and vulnerable people.  Knowing that when you finish for the day, you have made a difference to someone’s life and have ensured they are safe and out of harm’s way. Being a police officer means you are there for victims at some of the most vulnerable points in their life.

Can you give an example of a stand out moment where you feel like you made a change?  

One example where I feel I’ve helped make a change, specifically to the local community, was an operation where we helped identify and shut down an address being used for drug dealing. This was having a really negative impact on the local community, families and schools; not just the use and sale of drugs but also anti-social behaviour associated with the address. Thankfully we were able to get a court order to shut down the address which meant that no one was allowed to access the property and those found inside were removed. There were a number of arrests made and as a result of this work, there was a reduction in crime and anti-social behaviour which ultimately meant that local residents were able to live without this disruption to their daily lives.

What inspired you to become a police officer? 

One of the things I love about being a police officer is that no day is ever the same. I love the spontaneous nature of the job and how you never know what you will be dealing with. I enjoy the idea of working in a team and facing the same challenges together. Being a police officer will push you out of your comfort zone but it’s helped me grow in confidence and develop as a person. 

Having decided to become a police officer, have you had to overcome any significant barriers?

Since joining the Met I have focussed on my ambition to join the Territorial Support Group (TSG) later in my career. This is quite a physical role which requires using specialist techniques and equipment and so the fitness requirements are more difficult than those of a regular officer. However, I haven’t let this deter me, in fact it’s made me more determined to work hard on my fitness and strength which will hopefully help me achieve this ambition in the future.

How have you seen the Met change?

Since joining the Met I’ve realised that there are countless opportunities open to me which can help shape my career path. Training courses are now more readily available to officers and there has been an increase in the opportunities available to female officers in particular, for example working in firearms.

What is one skill you have developed becoming a police officer that might surprise people? 

Being a police officer has helped me become highly resilient to different situations. It’s helped me remain level headed in high pressured situations and given me an instinct to know when something is not right or an individual is lying.

What is one skill that you have taken from a previous job that you didn’t expect to be useful in the Met?

Before I joined the job, I was a black belt in Jado Kuin Do and used to take part in competitions with my team. This skill has proven to be useful since working in the Met, especially for my confidence and protecting myself and my colleagues, but most importantly having structure and discipline.

What do you like doing outside the job?

Outside of the job I enjoy being active and I am a part of a running club, this helps keep my fitness up to the level I need it to be for my job. I also enjoy going out with friends and spending time with my family which helps me switch off and relax.