Meeting the Policing Minister: Police Now women influence the future of policing

Nine inspirational female officers across policing met with Dame Diana Johnson, Minister of State for Crime, Policing and Fire, to discuss their experiences in the service and mark International Women’s Day this year.

Of the nine officers in attendance, seven joined policing through Police Now.

The women all helped to shape the future of policing by providing the Policing Minister with unique and personal insights into their frontline experiences, including the challenges they face, the remarkable work they have accomplished, and the importance of diversity across policing – particularly for building public trust and confidence.

The discussion included a wide range of topics including uniform fit, the importance of continuing to recruit more women and people from minority backgrounds into policing, and the unique skillsets that women bring to the service. The discussions fed into the Policing Minister’s department as they work with forces over the coming months to address long-term police reform and police recruitment.

Dame Diana Johnson, Minister of State for Crime, Policing and Fire, remarked: “Being an officer is an incredibly tough job. I have huge admiration for the women I met this week. Not everyone can do what they do. I want to ensure young women consider a career in policing and are given the opportunity to succeed…it was clear the culture of policing has moved on in the last 20 years. I think there’s still some way to go but I also think that all the women that I’m speaking to today recognise that they were valued in the police. They felt that their voices were heard – just so inspiring. What an amazing group of women doing really important work.”

Several of the officers said that they wouldn’t have joined policing if it wasn’t for Police Now, which typically attracts those who hadn’t considered a career in policing before and consistently recruits more women into the service than forces achieve nationally.