Celebrating women in policing

Tomorrow, Friday 8 March, is International Women’s Day and Hertfordshire Constabulary is proud of the vital work female police officers, staff and volunteers do to keep our county safe.

There are a variety of careers in the police and Hate Crime Officer PC Kirsty Smith shares her journey.

“I joined Hertfordshire Constabulary in 2015, initially as a Police Community Support Officer (PCSO), working in the Neighbourhood Policing Team (NPT) in Hoddesdon. I then became a police officer in 2019 and once I finished my training, I worked with the Neighbourhood Policing Team in Cheshunt for two years.

“I then moved on to a six-month attachment on the Local Crime Unit (LCU), investigating serious crimes including robberies. This gave me a great insight into interviewing suspects, taking witness statements, and completing files to be prepared for court hearings. I absolutely loved my time on LCU and it made me a better rounded officer.

“Afterwards, I went back to the Neighbourhood Policing Team as I loved engaging with members of the public and working on projects to tackle anti-social behaviour.

“I now currently work as the Hate Crime Officer for Cheshunt and East Herts. I’ve taken on this role because of my passion to support the community and believe that we need to be tackling these issues head on. I enjoy meeting different parts of the community and listening to their experiences with the police – whether it’s positive or negative and work to understand how we can help. I know we’re not all perfect, but I will always do something to try and make a difference.

“Hate crimes include assaults, threats or acts of vandalism, or any other crime committed against someone because of their disability, sexual orientation, race or ethnicity, religion or belief or transgender identity. Every victim of a hate crime in my area will be spoken to by myself, and I think having a dedicated officer is key to building trust within our communities.”

Reflecting on why she joined the police, Kirsty said: “I studied criminology at university and my granddad was also a police officer in Hertfordshire Constabulary, so some might say that it’s in my blood. I joined because I really wanted to make a difference to the community. If I make a difference to just one person’s life, that’s the most important thing to me and for victims to know they have someone to turn to.

“What I love about working for the police is that every day is different, particularly when working in response or neighbourhood teams. One day you could be arresting someone for shoplifting and the next day you could be dealing with a serious collision. I enjoy meeting lots of people in the community and also working alongside colleagues who are equally as passionate about our line of work.

“A particular career highlight of mine was when I was on mutual aid in Birmingham for the Commonwealth Games (pictured below). It was one of the best experiences and something I’m really pleased to have been a part of.

“I think the outlook on women in policing has changed,” says Kirsty: “I remember when I first joined the police, there were some colleagues who felt like women couldn’t do the role. I beg to differ! I’ve never felt unable to do the job and that we’re just as capable as our male counterparts and it’s great to see more women joining the police.

“I would absolutely encourage more women to join the constabulary,” adds Kirsty: “It is an amazing career, and you learn so much about yourself. There is lots of support available and I would say that if you have any doubts about whether you could do it, change that mindset because you definitely can. That’s how I felt and here I am, nine years down the line and still enjoying every minute.”

Tempted to join? Register your interest on our website.