Leaving New Mole House for the last time today was PC Tania Moreno who is retiring after spending 16 years in the RGP.

Tania joined the police after spending a few years away from Gibraltar. After studying Photography and Film at college in Glasgow, she first worked as a translator in Barcelona before spending 12 months travelling around New Zealand.

Soon after she arrived back in Gibraltar, she noticed a group of RGP officers in Casemates and she later discovered that they formed what was then known as the “Community Safety Team.” 

‘I was immediately struck by their sense of camaraderie, their team spirit and their obvious job satisfaction and I thought, “I’d love to do that and to be part of their team” so I sent in an application to join.’ said Tania.

‘I have always felt very proud that, on my Training School, I won the award for Best Academic Student - although my academic award didn’t help me much on 10 October 2008 on one of my first big jobs.  Alongside lots of other police officers, I was out in the lashing rain, hauling ropes to help rescue the crew of the MV Fedra when it ran aground in a storm and smashed against the rocks at Europa Point. The wind was incredibly strong that day whilst we were pulling the heavy ropes, so I was glad to be huddled between two hefty officers.’

The highlight of Tania’s career was the time she spent on the Neighbourhood Policing Team with special responsibility for the Upper Town. 

‘I loved helping the old folk, the vulnerable people and the victims of crime.  I got a real sense of job satisfaction from my time in the Upper Town.  But there was an operational side to the job as well because I seem be to someone that people want to talk to and I was able to pick up a lot of useful intelligence for my colleagues.

‘As for the worst part of the job, I’ve always hated being at the scene of a Road Traffic Collision where someone has been injured but, other than that I’ve enjoyed all my roles.

‘For the last few years, I’ve been working in our Resource Management office where we try to ensure that, despite staff shortages, sickness, training courses and leave, we can still cover all the essential tasks.  It sometimes means asking officers to do overtime or to work extra shifts.  But we also need to ensure that, in spite of all the demands placed upon them, our officers get enough “downtime”. Indeed, a lot of emphasis is now placed on officers’ wellbeing and their mental health.’

Tania can now have her own ‘downtime’ and concentrate on her charity work and hobbies and spending time with her three dogs – and, of course, with her partner, John.

When asked what she will miss the most, she laughs and says, “I’m going to miss my colleagues and sharing in the office banter but what I will NOT miss is wearing black socks in summer…”