When a Kind Word Makes a Difference

As an acting patrol group leader, Susan Frank takes her responsibilities seriously. With between four and six SMM staff members in her care, she leaves nothing to chance before heading out to the contact line, going through every detail to cover all contingencies, especially those related to the security and wellbeing of her team. “I conduct a patrol briefing following my own check-list,” Susan explains as she ticks off the last one on the list, ensuring everyone has their flak jacket, helmet and First Aid kit. “The situation can change in an instant, and we need to be able to react accordingly.”

Susan knows this better than most people, having served for 30 years as a police officer in Cheshire Constabulary, in the north-west of England. “Every time you put on a uniform and go out into the community, you can never tell what you’ll face,” she says.

The issues she now faces in Donetsk region are very different from those in Cheshire, and the security risks considerably higher, but it is the training and instincts honed from her earlier career that Susan relies on to keep safe and do her current job. “No matter what we’re dealing with – from civilian casualties to water and gas cut and weapons withdrawal verification – we’ve got to get the facts right,” Susan explains. “The information we collect goes into reports that are used by OSCE participating States and others.”

Susan is no stranger to this kind of work, having previously been in overseas missions as a serving police officer in Bosnia, Georgia and Afghanistan. “I enjoy international work immensely, as it exposes one to new cultures and languages, and I especially appreciate the opportunities to learn and be part of an incredibly diverse team,” she explains. “Everyone working here in the SMM brings the best from their own backgrounds, making the Mission resilient and effective, especially so in the face of adversity.”

With an ongoing conflict, Susan has inevitably faced difficult situations over the past two years she's spent in Donetsk. “It can sometimes be quite volatile here,” Susan explains. “It depends on the individual, but sometimes a female monitoring officer can bring another approach to communication and can be more effective at diffusing tense situations.”

With the conflict now in its sixth year, invariably there are many angry and frightened individuals who sometimes direct their frustrations at her. She recalls meeting a woman in a small village who had suffered through regular shelling over the years. “Though very angry and upset at the beginning of our conversation, I noticed that her demeanor changed after talking to me,” Susan says. “I think she needed to vent her frustrations and anger, and for someone to just listen and show empathy. Sometimes just a kind word makes a huge difference.”