As the Federation marks International Women’s Day (Saturday 8 March), workplace representative Kelly Draper discusses the importance of using policing to give a voice to others.

Growing up in Llangoedmor, Kelly began her career with the Metropolitan Police as a response officer in 1998 before moving to her home force eight years later.

She stepped into a Ceredigion-based response post, and fast-forwarding to the current day, is an acting sergeant within the Force’s Crime and Incident Hub.

But her most career-defining work has come as a domestic abuse (DA) officer, a position she has held since 2017 and hopes to return to before the end of her career.

Workplace representative Kelly Draper.

“Matters around DA have been my passion from almost the start of my time in the police,” Kelly said.

“I had a couple of very early experiences with the Met where I saw DA victims up-close who had been badly abused. There have been plenty of areas I have cared about in policing, but from then on, it’s what I have cared about most.”

When performing her regular role, Kelly attends similar incidents to the ones which left such an impression on her, helping to safeguard high-risk victims of DA across Ceredigion.

Judicial processes

This can involve transporting them to refuge, assisting in any judicial processes and generally being the Force’s link between investigation and supporting those left in difficult circumstances by such crime.

Additionally, Kelly has become a vulnerability training coordinator, identifying gaps in Dyfed Powys Police’s training needs related not only to DA, but wider violence against women and girls (VAWG) and vulnerable adult safeguarding.

“It’s important to remember men and boys can be victims of DA just like women and girls, but we know the latter group is disproportionately impacted by it,” she continued.

“It really doesn’t discriminate – not even against police officers trying to tackle it. I have been a victim myself in the past.

Dedication

“But this has strengthened my dedication even further and intensified the sense of achievement I’ve felt helping someone’s life change for the better. Some of the victories we have had in this respect have been incredible.”

“My mind always goes to the people we’ve helped who were reluctant to engage with the police at first, and breaking that stigma. Whether that’s through fear or contempt, they still need to be heard – being a DA victim can be very isolating, and in a force covering such a rural area, that risk of isolation can be even greater.”

And now, the Federation similarly benefits from Kelly’s commitment to being there for those in need, with her Force efforts acting as inspiration to become a workplace rep in 2023.

She says she also wanted to give back to the Fed after the support she received amid workplace difficulties brought about by experiences in her home life.

Overtime

So far, she has secured fair treatment for numerous members around overtime and allowances, as well as an officer whose career plans were thrown up in the air when they were initially blocked from transferring to Dyfed Powys Police, due to an incomplete course unable to be finished at their previous force.

“For me, I want to continue supporting the public, and I am enjoying doing the same for colleagues too,” she said. 

“From a Force perspective, we’ve seen Operation Uplift boost the number of female frontline officers and I think that’s sent a great message. But now that means having the best support possible in place for those officers.

“So, whatever arena it’s in, when there’s a person who needs someone in their corner and it’s a woman, it’s something I feel very honoured to do.”

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