Special Superintendent Alex Walden
Having been a part of the Special Constabulary for almost a quarter of a century, Alex Walden says his role in the Force is still as crucial as ever to his sense of identity.
Special Superintendent Alex joined Cambridgeshire Constabulary around 25 years ago, working his way up to become one of its most experienced and influential voluntary officers.
While he started police life on the frontline in St. Neots before becoming the area’s Special Sergeant, he has also covered the likes of Fenland and Peterborough, with the latter in an acting capacity of his current rank.
A permanent promotion then saw him join the Force’s territorial policing command team, and now, he serves on its Specials management team, handling performance and disciplinary matters.
Alex has balanced this progression with his professional background in music and broadcasting – interests he combines in his day job as orchestra manager for the BBC Concert Orchestra.
“Those were the two things which called me from a very young age. I was always interested not only in music, but the technology behind it, and I got my first break in radio after university,” he said.
“In my day job, I line manage members of my orchestra and implement our broadcasting operations. You will have heard us from pieces across the BBC network, including ‘Piano Room’ on Radio 2 and ‘Friday Night is Music Night’ on Radio 3, and ‘Call the Midwife’ and ‘Northern Soul Prom’ on TV.
“I love what I do, but volunteering in the police has become just as important to me.
“I decided to become a Special because I wanted something else which would allow me to help other people – there is a real world out there, and throughout my paid career, I have never wanted to lose sight of that.”
Alex elaborated on this, explaining that life within the world’s leading public service broadcaster, while extremely fulfilling in its own right, can sometimes feel insulated and somewhat detached from reality.
With his orchestra without a fixed performance home and constantly on the road, demands are often heightened by various individual and production needs.
But by devoting a part of himself to policing, he says he is able to stay grounded.
“It’s the same sort of principle when you look at the impact on the public, too,” Alex added.
“Our performances give our audiences something important – they enjoy themselves and become moved by what we do, and that release is beautiful – and yet, as much as I love helping to bring art to the world, the impact of the police is everywhere you look.
“They might enjoy tuning into the radio and listening to us, but before that, they want to be able to walk down their street without feeling intimidated by the possibility of crime.
“Personally, I’ve always liked the idea of being someone who can help to prevent that sort of situation.”
Despite these fundamental differences across both professions, the 50-year-old maintained that there is also plenty of common ground between the two organisations he belongs to.
“I must have some kind of deep-rooted desire to serve the public, obviously through Cambridgeshire Constabulary, but by having been with the BBC for such a long time,” he laughed.
“In many respects, they do have very similar cultures – around impartiality, trust and integrity, to name a few.
“Integrity in particular is a big one for me – taking pride in your work and treating people with fairness, even when the cameras aren’t rolling or when no one is watching.”
This is a value Alex will be sure to take into the most significant step of his Force career to date, when he becomes the figurehead of a new era for the Special Constabulary within Cambridgeshire.
Later this month, he is set to take over leadership of all the county’s Specials under a fresh structure, which has been devised to better reflect current numbers and align with the Government’s recently announced Neighbourhood Policing Guarantee.
With a switchover date of 31 May penned in, Alex looked ahead to the move, which will see him inherit responsibility for the general development of his fellow police volunteers.
“I am feeling really optimistic and excited about this new structure, and it will be an absolute honour to take the lead on it.
“Being a Special has given me so much – confidence, people skills, and a perspective on the world I wouldn’t have otherwise got. I will always want to help other Specials make those discoveries for themselves, and if this new role allows me to take that to another level, then I am more than happy.
“Music and broadcasting might have been my calling, but I think it would be impossible to call volunteering in the police anything other than a vocation, too.”