CivicLAB event: A History of Women in Policing

Friday 30 May, 10:30am, Artcore DE1 2DS

Back by popular demand

Tom Andrews,  Lecturer in Policing

Women in Policing: A History Through Personal Stories charts the progress of women in British law enforcement roles throughout history, as far back as the 11th Century. It primarily focuses on the introduction of pseudo-policing roles by women in WWI, through to the present day, telling this through a collection of personal stories, rather than a broad narrative account.

It charts the development from a fight to be accepted in policing at all – by women who certainly saw themselves as far superior to the common ‘Bobby’ and above such menial work; through female officers ‘only being useful for dealing with crimes involving women and children’, and only being issued with a 1ft truncheon that would fit in their force-issue handbags; through to their common acceptance and positions of rank up to and including chief constable – with the foreword being provided by the nation’s first female chief constable, Pauline Clare.

CivicLAB is based at the University of Derby. The city is a UNESCO City of Life Long Learning and home to World Heritage Sites. CivicLAB has been designed to support academics, creative & cultural industry professionals, freelance creatives and the public to share their insights on research and practice through a place-based approach to knowledge generation.

Find out more: @Derby_Civic
www.derby.ac.uk/civicAll