What reflections do you have on being a working mother in policing?

“Policing is a job that is so different from anything else. Being a police officer and being a mother demands a lot; you have your hands in multiple baskets and you must wear multiple hats – your different policing hats (your safeguarding hat, your enforcement hat, your leadership hat) – as well as your mum hat. It can be challenging, but it is certainly doable.

“Being a mother doesn’t necessarily change what you aspire to be and it shouldn’t prevent you from being ambitious or going after what you want; but it does require a certain resilience and strength

“Since becoming a mum I have reflected particularly on the resilience of women in policing. Your body goes through so much – menstruation, birth, motherhood, menopause – and yet you still get up and you show up. You show up for the public who needs you, to support people through some of the worst days of their lives, to seek justice for victims and make the community safer. And you show up for your family.”

What advice would you give to those who are worried about balancing their policing career with motherhood?  

“My daughter has just turned two, and whilst being a working mother in policing is challenging, there are plenty of us who make it work. But you do need to be realistic about what you can give and where you can give it, and to think about how and where you can be adaptable.

“The force is supporting my flexible working request to do compressed hours instead of the shift patterns I was doing before, which was no longer viable around my parenting duties. There are still lots of opportunities available to me in the force and ways I can continue to progress in my career. I would like to work towards promotion and I have recently started Police Now’s Frontline Leadership Programme to help me get there.

“I am looking at where I can give back support to others, too, now that I have my own experiences to draw upon. I am hoping to create a ‘returner’s pack’ for those coming back from maternity or paternity leave, which offers more structure and physical resources for colleagues to support returning parents through that journey. The support I had when returning from maternity leave and back into my policing role was generally very good, but there is always room for improvement. This is still in its early days but it is important that we take action and drive positive change where we identify the chance to do so.”

What advice would you give to women in policing or women who are thinking about joining, who may be worried about policing culture more broadly?

“My advice would be to try not to worry about what you can’t control and try to think about what you can, how you can influence for the better. Be a role model for what you want to see. Wherever you are in your journey, at a certain point you have to just decide to be yourself unapologetically. To take up the space you deserve.

“You should also think about where you want to go and the person you want to be and take the opportunities that will help you get there. Seek extra support if you need it. I have joined a lot of networks in force – like the Black Policing Association, the Network of Women, and the Children with Complex Needs Network – where I get advice and support from brilliant officers across the force. 

“It is also one of the reasons I joined Police Now’s Frontline Leadership Programme; I know what I want to see and where I want to go, so why sit on the side-lines when I can be a part of the positive change? It is helping me mould myself into the leader I want to be and to network with officers from different forces nationally, to hear their inspiring stories and share our learnings more widely.”

Are there any inspiring women in your life who you particularly look up to, that you’d like to mention this International Women’s Day? 

“I look up to my mother a lot. She is so determined and she never gives up, and although we have had our own, different journeys in life and motherhood, I look to her example. But I also look to all women and appreciate their strength. Every woman has their own story to tell and something they’ve had to deal with, but we still continue to show up and deliver where we can.”