Deputy Chief Constable Maggie Blyth has one of the most important jobs in policing. In September 2021, she was appointed to co-ordinate action across the service to tackle violence against women and girls (VAWG), following a wave of concerns sparked by the murder of Sarah Everard by a serving Metropolitan police officer.

DCC Blyth, who joined Hampshire police in 2016 as a ‘direct entry’ superintendent after a career in probation, youth justice and public protection, says Sarah’s killing was a “watershed moment”. She has developed a strategy to ensure VAWG is made a priority and victims get a consistently high standard across the 43 forces in England and Wales.

Policing TV’s Chief Presenter, Danny Shaw, spoke to Maggie Blyth about the progress that’s been made since the strategy was published, the deep-seated cultural changes that are needed – and her decision to join the police service later on in life.