FEW of us could match Jo Van Zanten’s passion for her job.

The 38-year-old loves working for Essex Police so much, she actually does two jobs.

By day, she is the civilian youth development co-ordinator for the force’s children and young people’s policing team. By night, she serves as a special constable, based in Witham.

The Braintree mother-of-two started as a police civilian worker five years ago, after leaving her admin job with an insurance company.

She said: “I have an absolute passion for policing. I live and breathe it. I love it.

“It is a world which is constantly evolving, because there are changes and developments all the time. There’s always something to learn.”

Jo has been the force’s youth development co-ordinator fornine months, leading a team of five. Before that, she worked for the Essex Police Authority.

Her present job involves working closely with the organisers of the 2Smart roadshows, which teach children about how to deal with drink, drugs and bullying through music, sport and games.

She also works with officers who go into schools, making sure they have all the information they need, and with the 75 members of the Young Essex Assembly.

She said: “2Smart has been going for 13 years. It is massively important.

“This year, we had about 16,000 children go through the 2Smart programme. We deliver it to Year 7 children. Nothing else engages with kids in those numbers.”

When Jo gets home from a day’s work, policing is often still very much on her mind. For the past two years, she has been a special constable, patrol ling the streets of Witham.

She explained: “As a member of police staff and working for the Essex Police Authority, my job was to organise public meetings.

“I saw the challenges police officers faced on a daily basis and I really just wanted to offer my services and see if there was anything I could do to help. I thought, ‘Let’s go for it!’”

Specials have the same powers as regular officers, but are unpaid. They must agree to put on the uniform and work at least 16 hours a month, though Jo reckons she averages between 50 and 60.

She said: “The camaraderie is fantastic and it gives you personal challenges. You never know what’s coming next, so every duty is a learning curve.

“Being a special constable is not about money – it’s about job satisfaction and hoping you make a positive difference to somebody’s day.”

Jo’s work as a special has brought her in contact with a huge range of issues, from alcohol-related disturbances and domestic violence, to an very unsettling suicide involving a speeding train.

She said: “It’s okay. You just go and deal with things.

“You have a little think about it afterwards and talk about it, but that’s where the camaraderie comes into it. If somebody is having a bit of a bad day, you hope you can help.”