How can we #AccelerateAction to support women in policing?

What is your background and experience of working in the police?

My career in policing commenced in 1996 when I joined Essex Police, my local force. I had just finished my degree and a week later I started initial training at Police Headquarters, Chelmsford.

This was such an exciting time. I felt that policing offered so many opportunities and variation in the type of work I would be able to undertake once I had navigated the initial training period. In 1999, I transferred to Wiltshire Police where I remained before leaving in 2024 to take up a position as a Consultant with Skills for Justice.

Within my policing career I was initially a uniformed Constable, but fairly quickly became a Detective. My early days as a Detective were varied. Some of the more specialist teams did not exist at this time so whilst working on routine Criminal Investigation Department (CID) investigations such as serious assaults, serious crime and rape investigations, I soon also found myself working on murder investigations.

I was then fortunate enough to pass my Sergeants’ exam and was promoted to Detective Sergeant. My first role on promotion was arguably the most exciting for me as I took on a newly established Burglary Investigation Unit.

I have had a number of other roles as a Detective Sergeant working within a force Intelligence Unit, Professional Standards, Diversity and Inclusion, and Specialist Operations. Having then passed my Inspectors’ exam I took on a role as the Diversity and Inclusion lead.

In 2024, you joined Skills for Justice. What made you make the switch after so long in the police force?

I decided that, whilst I had enjoyed my time as a Police Officer, I wanted other working experiences. I had by this point only worked in policing since graduating from university. Working for Skills for Justice seemed to be a perfect fit for me as I am still connected to the justice sector, and I can use the benefit of my experience in supporting organisations.

What was working in the police for like when you first joined?

As you can imagine, when I first joined policing, it was very different!

For a start the technology and equipment we were issued with were worlds apart – no body armour, body worn cameras, batons or tasers, just a simple wooden truncheon and handcuffs!

I recall female officers were referred to as WPC’s (Woman Police Constable) and wore a white shirt unlike the male colleagues who wore blue. Whilst computers were used, I do recall in my very early days seeing typewriters being used to type out warrants!

Whilst it was male dominated, I do remember there being a reasonable number of female officers on shifts. However, one of the biggest differences was the absence of women in more senior level positions, especially in my early days. Also, when considering the ‘specialist’ roles such as CID or Firearms Officers, these positions were more heavily male dominated, something that I see more now on reflection than I really appreciated at the time.

What was the balance of genders within the police when you started? Did this change over the time you worked there?

There was a definite shift in the balance of genders over the years. When I initially joined, it was unusual to have a female supervisor, for example. This is a very different picture nowadays, far more female officers are putting themselves forward for promotion and succeeding, and the senior leadership teams were far more representative towards the end of my time in the police.

Did you see much of a change in culture during your time working in the police?

I would say that there has been a shift in the culture in policing to one which better recognises the positive impact on service delivery more diverse teams can offer. This was not something that was recognised in the same way as it is nowadays.

Whilst there has been a cultural shift toward recognising the value of diverse perspectives in decision-making and operational effectiveness, there are still challenges such as unconscious bias and underrepresentation in senior roles. The policing landscape today is more inclusive, with women playing a crucial role across all ranks and specialisms.

The initiatives and increased awareness to address gender disparities being spoken about openly and with a positive drive to both attract and retain women in policing simply didn’t exist, so it has been refreshing and encouraging to see this change over the years.

This year’s theme is Accelerate Action – what do you think we can do to achieve greater diversity and equity in the coming year?

We can all do something however small it is to support this year’s theme. Organisations, for example, can take a stand to use this as an opportunity to review or implement inclusive workplace policies and advocate for equitable policies to address barriers that hinder women’s progress.

Taking this a step further, organisations can show their commitment to promoting diverse leadership and encourage women and girls to pursue leadership roles, especially in sectors that historically have lower uptakes amongst women.

There is an opportunity for organisations to reach out and actively engage with and understand what is preventing women from pursuing these career paths, and work with them to understand what the barriers are in order to drive solutions.