Domestic disputes, burglaries, shootings, and murders — Cheryle Trimm has handled them all, and she’s not even a police officer.She retired this month having served as a civilian station duty officer, one of the first the Bermuda Police Service hired in 1996.“We use the police uniform but we are not police officers,” she said of that post. “When we first started we had to be taught what to do, because no-one knew. We were the first civilians. We had to take courses to learn how to deal with people. We took a few martial arts lessons to learn how to protect ourselves, although we worked primarily behind a counter. As SDO you meet all types of people. It can be very stressful because you are the first point of contact [whenever anything] goes on in Bermuda [and] they call the police station.”She started out as a reserve officer. She’d previously worked in the the insurance industry and wanted to give back to the community.“I did not want to become a full-fledged police officer at the time,” said Ms Trimm. “I didn’t know what to expect and I didn’t want to get involved that much. I thought I would do the reserves and maybe later on become a police officer. But after being a reserve and then transferring as an SDO, I said that was enough for me.”She started out at the Somerset Police Station, but moved to Hamilton after a few years. It was supposed to be a temporary move, but Ms Trimm liked the bustle of Hamilton so much that she stayed.“The rewards of the job are the people I have met,” she said. “I have met a lot of people whether it be tourists, Bermudians, homeless people; I meet all sorts. Our job is to deal with people professionally, no matter who they are.”One homeless man would frequently come into the station to ask her for food or money, she recalled. One day she became fed up and told him she did not have $1.25 to give him. He came back and put $1.25 on the counter.“He said, ‘Here, buy something for yourself’,” she said. “That stood out. It brought tears to my eyes. He didn’t have anything, but he was willing to share with me. I thought that was quite something. I have always loved working with people.”Ms Trimm admitted that not all her dealings with the general public were pleasant. In one memorable incident she was threatened with a knife.“It was Halloween and a man came in,” said Ms Trimm. “He had been in a dispute with a police officer earlier in the day. He came to the station with a knife and said he was sick and tired of the police always harassing him. He was trying to get at me with a knife. I was alone. I was so scared. I had to call for help, because there was nobody there. At that time there was no panic button. We didn’t have Plexiglas like you have now. It was wide open so anyone could get over the counter if they wanted to. Today, we are much more protected.”At first she felt a little bit timid at work after that experience, but she got some counselling and went on with her job.“Looking back on it, I wish I had stayed a bit calmer and talked to him,” she said. “Maybe I could have found out why he had such a bad attitude towards the police.”Over the years she has seen the community change drastically, and not necessarily for the better.“Today, no-one cares,” she said. “There are so many crimes against each other. There is no love. I wish people would just get along. When I first started the job I would try to fix or rescue people. You can’t do that. You have to listen and try to give them the best advice you can.”One of the challenges for her in the job was remembering that she was a civilian, not a police officer, despite having worked in a station for a long period of time.“I had to separate myself at times and remember that,” she said. “It would have been too stressful to become a police officer. People expect you to be strong. I know I am not. Sometimes, I would come home and cry, because I encountered so many problems. It gets to you after awhile, especially if people you know call in on some kind of dispute. You have to try your best not to get involved. That was hard for me, but you have to separate yourself and deal with them professionally.”Ms Trimm has always been an active person. In her younger days she enjoyed playing volleyball, cycling and running. Today, she goes to the gym regularly and loves to garden. In her retirement she is looking forward to finally getting some rest and relaxation.“I worked 12 hours a day, so a lot of times when I came home I was busted, mentally and physically,” she said. “I don’t do a lot like I used to. I am looking forward to getting myself back together and spending time with my family. I am going to do more with the gym and some volunteer work.”Police Commissioner, Michael DeSilva, recalled that she was unflappable under pressure during her tenure.“I remember when she joined us back in the late 1990s,” he said. “I was an Inspector working at the old Hamilton Police Station on Parliament Street. Ms Trimm was always organised, calm under pressure and pleasant, even to the most disgruntled customers. She had a professional demeanour and she represented the BPS expertly as the first point of contact at the police station. Ms Trimm was liked and respected by her colleagues, both police officers and support staff. She clearly loved her job and she made a significant contribution over the years towards enhancing the police relationship with the public.”