When I was early 20’s and fairly new to police I was a minority being female, I was young, thin, ok figure. I think the fact I was female was enough for the boys I worked with. I was a serving police officer on the front line.
I nearly lost my job whilst in probation because I would not entertain the awful sexual behaviour of my male counterparts, I had beverages thrown over me at work do’s to reveal my breasts in a wet top, I was touched up inappropriately and spoken down to like I was not one of them as female. They faked reports about me to try and get me removed once they found out I was gay and not an “easy lay” another probationer notch on their bedposts.
Luckily I knew a senior officer and he helped get me moved station still within Kent. It was much better but there was still that awful sexist banter and low opinion of the girls but you grew used to that.
Then we got a new [rank redacted for legal reasons] and he was over the top, thought he was gods gift, definitely had little man syndrome issue but made up for his height with sexist bravado. On several occasions he took very drunk girls “home” in police vehicles and had sex with them, a few male officers were known to love Friday and Saturday night shifts as they could prowl on drunk vulnerable girls that should have been safe and protected not abused.
His behaviour was also directed at the female officers on the team and in the station. Knowing I was gay apparently made me more of a challenge, one he was determined to overcome. As he was my superior I could only do and say so much as he was also a member of the old boys club that protects so many “men” especially police men. Believe me when I say far too much is swept under the carpet and covered up by those men in the police.
One night (on nights if you went over your end time on the final night there was an overtime payment well worth staying for) I was about to leave and a 999 call came in out in the middle of no where, my [redacted for legal reasons] told me to get in his car we would take it as the early shift wasn’t ready. Thankfully 2 of my team mates well aware of his behaviour toward me, panicked when they saw this and said they would come as well, “he” told them no, and again thankfully they called control and got the ok to come as well but were now slightly delayed. It was a break in to a rural pub, we arrived and searched the field around the pub, he pushed me up against a wall and tried to start kissing me, he forced his hands between my legs and was too strong for me to fight off, I just froze.. we were out of sight and in middle of no where. He kept saying I wanted this, I told him no. He started to undo my trousers and I am thankful every day that the boys arrived and called out and came running in our direction.. he stopped and said it was a false alarm and we could all leave the scene, they asked if I was ok and I tried to say no they could see it was a no but the [redacted for legal reasons] just steered me toward the car and told the lads to leave. We started heading back toward the station, he pulled over and tried to touch me again, I said no, he said I wanted it, and he got his penis out and put my hand on it, I just started crying and tried to pull away but he wanked himself off holding my hand tight on his penis until he came..he then sorted himself out and we drove back to the station.
Next day I told my [redacted for legal reasons] knowing full well I was probably making a problem for myself rather than my [redacted for legal reasons] but I just couldn’t leave it.. how could he do this, and if he could do it to me no one was safe. I didn’t want to go higher as I knew those bosses were in “that” club, bloody masons. But my [redacted for legal reasons] were so shocked and upset they went and reported it. I ended up telling my side and as suspected it was all swept up and I was blamed. Young pretty police officer must of lead him on.
He was eventually moved as the team would not work with him or leave him with any of the female colleagues, he was stupidly placed in [redacted for legal reasons] trapping predominantly female staff in his domain. Over the years I heard many complaints made against him. But they just kept moving him to other [redacted for legal reasons] allowing him to continue this behaviour and subjecting more women to his sexual predatory behaviour. One member of our team was locked in a supply cupboard by him and told he could rape her in there and no one would know. He out lasted most of us in the police. Thoroughly protected. I left after 10yrs. I have zero trust in the police or their service they are supposed to provide. I would never trust a male officer.
Constabulary: Kent Police
Timespan: Early 2000’s
Did you report it to the police?: Prefer not to say
Your ethnicity: White British
Have you experienced suicidality due to this?: No
Are you disabled as defined under the Equality Act 2010?: Yes
