Kelly is a Water Police diver, a role that truly tests her skills and senses.
“More often than not, you can’t see in the conditions we operate in,” she says.
“Doing a search, we will use all parts of our body and crawl on the floor so if you miss it with your arm, you might feel it on your chest. You have to just close your eyes, chill out, and just tune in all your senses with your hands.”
Currently the only woman in the WA Police Dive Squad, she wants to open the eyes of other women to the vast range of possibilities in a policing career.
“We need more women to come and join me on these adventures, not just in the Dive Squad, but right across policing.”
Kelly’s 15-year career is a great example of the variety of roles available in the WA Police Force. Starting in general duties, she developed built a range of skills that can be applied to any posting, with stints in Regional WA accelerating her development and progression to specialist areas.
“I learned about search and rescue, especially marine searches, during my time in Dunsborough. And I was into swimming, boating and fishing my whole life, so Dive Squad was a natural fit for me.”
“But I also spent four years at Mounted Section, even though I’d never ridden a horse before. They train you with the special skills needed for that role, like handling the horse in crowds in Northbridge or doing patrols in regional areas.”
Kelly’s interest in policing was sparked by an uncle and her football coach, both police officers who instilled the values of leadership and teamwork.
“You have to work well together, everyone has strengths and weaknesses and you can’t do everything by yourself. And in a small team like Dive Squad it’s so satisfying knowing your role and working together to achieve your outcomes, which can save lives.”
“It’s probably the most job fun I’ve had, driving boats, going diving and getting paid for it. There’s a lot of women out there doing these activities as hobbies, so I’d encourage them to give policing a go and you never know where it might lead you.”
Hear more about Kelly's adventures with Dive Squad in the new WA Police Force podcast series “Persons Of Interest”, on Spotify, Apple Podcasts and other podcast platforms or visit the WA Police Force website for more information.