Barnsley police officer takes on father's collar number as she follows in his footsteps to serve South Yorkshire Police

A police officer who followed in her father's footsteps to join the beat has now been handed down a family heirloom – his collar number.
Pc Michelle Phillips with her father, retired officer Keith Bingham, and they collar number 1820 they share. Picture: South Yorkshire PolicePc Michelle Phillips with her father, retired officer Keith Bingham, and they collar number 1820 they share. Picture: South Yorkshire Police
Pc Michelle Phillips with her father, retired officer Keith Bingham, and they collar number 1820 they share. Picture: South Yorkshire Police

Pc Michelle Phillips has worked for South Yorkshire Police for 17 years, but has only just joined the ranks as a serving officer.

Before that, Ms Phillips, from Barnsley, worked for the force's communications team and later as a custody officer.

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Her father, Keith Bingham, served in the force as an officer for three decades before retiring in 2006.

Ms Phillip's father, Pc Bingham, pictured at Hillsborough Park in the 1980s. Picture: South Yorkshire PoliceMs Phillip's father, Pc Bingham, pictured at Hillsborough Park in the 1980s. Picture: South Yorkshire Police
Ms Phillip's father, Pc Bingham, pictured at Hillsborough Park in the 1980s. Picture: South Yorkshire Police

Upon starting her career as a police officer on the beat, Ms Phillips was delighted to find out she was being handed down her father's collar number, 1820.

"It just adds to the feeling that I’m where I’m meant to be", she said.

“When I was a kid I was always excited to tell people my dad was a police officer, I knew he did such an important job.

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“He worked in lots of different roles in the force, starting out as a beat officer in Crookes in Sheffield and then moving on to traffic, where he was a police motorcyclist – his absolute dream job.”

Ms Phillips decided to take the leap and apply to become an officer last year and is now serving as part of the Barnsley district policing team.

She added that her father had not been entirely keen on her joining the ranks as a child.

“Like any parent, he just wanted his daughters to be safe, so my obsession with being part of the police didn’t always go down very well.

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“As a teenager I was determined to get into South Yorkshire Police life in some way, so I joined as a call handler and then the rest is history, I got the bug and moved around different staff roles over the years.

“When I applied to be a regular I didn’t think I’d pass, but I just kept getting through each stage and now I’m in my absolute element and the role I was meant for.

“The icing on the cake was taking my dad’s collar number, not many people are that lucky and it just adds to the feeling that I’m where I’m meant to be.”

The Home Office is currently recruiting around 500 officers for forces in Yorkshire & the Humber, with South Yorkshire Police still taking applications for aspiring officers.

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