May-Britt Ronnebro interviews Sandra Smith from Bedfordshire Police in England. Sandra shares her journey of joining the police force later in life and her desire to make a difference in her community. She discusses the challenges of being a woman of colour in policing and the importance of bringing her whole self to work. Sandra also talks about her promotional journey within the police force and the balance between her career and personal life.

Takeaways

• The #SheIsIPA project aims to empower police women and attract them to join the International Police Association.
• Sandra Smith joined the police force later in life to give back to her community and make a difference.
• She faced challenges and concerns from her family about the safety of being a woman in policing.
• Sandra’s background in retail management provided her with valuable skills in working with people.
• She emphasizes the importance of seeing the whole person and not just focusing on race or gender in policing.
• Sandra’s promotional journey within the police force included working in community and diversity and inclusion roles.
• She has been able to balance her career and personal life through flexible working arrangements.

In the next episode, Sandra will discuss her experience of feeling lonely and the project that emerged from it.

Sound Bites

“We deliver interviews, webinars, seminars, and much more to empower police women.”
“We joined because we want to give something back to our community and it’s as simple as that.”
“When you work in retail, you deal with the public and you offer service to the public.”

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