“I’m a police officer in the safest place to live in the British Isles”

A Liverpool police officer who left the city has revealed what crime is like on an island 40 minutes away.

Aintree native Graeme Sullivan moved around the world, living in Gibraltar and the Middle East before settling on the Isle of Man. The 36-year-old has made his home in Douglas with his wife Rebecca, two sons Thomas, 13, and Alfie, nine, and daughter Evelyn, four.

Wanting to “give back to the community” that welcomed him with open arms, the father-of-three trained as a police officer in what has been officially named the safest place to live in the British Isles on more than one occasion.

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Graeme told the ECHO: “I wanted to be Mr International and travel the world, but I wanted to be close enough to my mum that I could come back at the weekend – probably with a bag of laundry. So the Isle of Man ticked all the boxes for me.

“I’m not very good at painting fences or gardening, it’s not my forte, but I wanted to give back. I wanted to help others and make a difference, I feel very lucky to live and work there as the Isle of Man has been very good to me.

“When I was young I always wanted to join the police. Before I left Liverpool I applied but was rejected so when I saw an advert for a special constable I thought I might as well apply.”

After completing his training, which involved classroom tests and running up mountains, Graeme does a 12-hour night shift every few weeks when his children sleep. His typical shift can involve anything from traffic collisions and night-time economy to domestic disturbances and burglaries.

He said: “I thought volunteers like myself would be somewhat protected, but that’s not the case. We do everything a policeman does. But I’m with a regular cop, so I get a lot of learning and support from them.

“I’m helping to keep the island safe and that’s so rewarding and enjoyable. There’s always things to do and there’s always a need for police officers, but it’s different if I were to do it in Liverpool. It drains you, especially when I’m working another job, so it’s tiring, but you feel great afterwards.”

When Graeme is not helping to keep the island safe, he is the country leader and chief operating officer for Barclays Isle of Man. He started his career straight out of school with an entry-level role and worked his way up. He thanks the banking company for allowing him to enjoy such a work-life balance.

He said: “I often bump into people at Barclay’s with my police hat on when they’ve had a few drinks.

“It can be a weird dynamic because I’m the tallest person in my day job and that’s completely reversed when I’m out there as a cop.”

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