Samantha Alexander, Forensic Identification Officer for Bedfordshire Police, shares her journey and experiences. She initially joined the police as a fingerprint officer to support her mother during her recovery from a stroke. Samantha highlights the importance of cultural intelligence in policing and the need to understand and embrace diversity. She discusses her role as the cultural intelligence lead for Bedfordshire Police, where she focuses on influencing and changing the organization’s culture. Samantha also emphasizes the significance of representation and the challenges she has faced as a black woman in the police force.

Takeaways

• Representation and diversity are crucial in the police force to reflect the population they serve.
• Cultural intelligence is essential in understanding and embracing different cultures within the organization and the community.
• Samantha Alexander’s role as the cultural intelligence lead focuses on influencing and changing the culture of Bedfordshire Police.
• Challenges faced by Samantha as a black woman in the police force include lack of representation and unconscious biases.
• Positive action initiatives aim to ensure diversity in recruitment, onboarding, and retention within the police force.

Chapters

00:00 Introduction and Background
00:59 Reasons for Joining the Police
05:44 Challenges Faced as a Black Woman in Policing
10:15 Importance of Diversity in Policing
11:14 Culture Intelligence Lead Role
15:31 Work of Women of Colour in Policing

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