Introducing Devon and Cornwall Police Federation Vice Chair Joey Lester

23 September 2022

Devon and Cornwall Police Federation is delighted to introduce Joey Lester as its new Vice Chair. 

Joey, a sergeant in the Professional Development Unit, has 13 years’ service with the force and five years as a Special Constable. 

Joey is relatively new to the Federation, having only served as a workplace rep for just over a year. But she has experience supporting officers in her role with the force’s family support network, challenging decisions around maternity and paternity provisions and supporting policy around baby loss and compassionate leave. 

She decided to run for Vice Chair so that she could represent members’ voices and represent the realities of day-to-day policing within the force. 

Joey said: “I love having the opportunity to do that and being able to influence or effect change for the better.To support people and to have that platform feels really exciting, and it just felt right.” 

Joey, who is currently working to become an inspector, says she has a good knowledge of the promotions process and how senior teams make the decisions that affect the front line. 

She added: “I would love to promote actually how hard it is currently on the front line, and how different it was to maybe when a lot of other officers have joined. I think the last five to ten years have been absolutely incredibly different to maybe other people’s journey into policing, and what the frontline is now facing, whether that’s in CID, Neighbourhood, Response, or Operations. It’s mightily different to the experiences of some of the senior members in the organisation. 

“I am also looking forward to supporting officers that have caring responsibilities and give that voice to people that have chaotic home lives and to t be able to support them and build a newer way of working, and a flexible workforce that’s more current and in line with modern families.

“I’m really passionate about equality and supporting people with neuro-diversity, and being able to be truly representational. I would love to be able to be that voice for officers that maybe are just feeling slightly marginalised sometimes.”