Kin pledges to be the voice of women officers in national Federation role

28 February 2022

A detective inspector from West Midlands Police has vowed to be the voice of women officers after taking up a regional role on the Police Federation of England and Wales’ National Council.

Kin Devi now has the national reserve women’s seat for the Federation’s Region 3 which covers the West Midlands, West Mercia, Warwickshire and Staffordshire forces.

And she said she wanted to use all the experience and knowledge gained from 25 years’ service with the country’s second largest force to make a difference for Police Federation members.

Kin explained: “I am a detective inspector and also a mother and I am from an under-represented group so I have experienced many challenges in my policing career to date.

“And I think now, more than ever, with increasing pressures on policing, it is critical that we represent all members’ views and concerns both locally and nationally.

“I feel that I will be a strong female voice as I am really passionate about this area of work but also about issues that don't just affect women and require a more corporate response.”

As chair of the Black and Asian Police Association within West Midlands Police, Kin already has experience of working very closely with the national Police Federation to address and bring about changes in equality.

And she said she was determined to build on her previous achievements by challenging forces and holding senior officers to account while representing all members.

Kin explained: “I have also been involved in the promotion and development of women in policing and my ambition is to assist female officers to have the confidence in progressing in their roles and to develop and support them to become senior leaders.

“I have recently left my post as detective inspector, head of investigations, within the Force’s professional standards department so I have advised members on matters concerning Police Regulations, grievance and regulation procedures and actions on discipline matters.

“While in role, I led the enforcement education prevention work around abuse of position for sexual gain and this involved supporting many vulnerable female police officers.

“My job also involved challenging inappropriate behaviour and language which undermines the six strands of diversity.

“Being a mother to two young girls, I have suffered gender discrimination and can emphasise how lonely and upsetting this can be.

“I will ensure the close monitoring of those on maternity, sick leave or suspended from duty and keep branch informed of their progress.

“Challenging any inequality through quality and fairness is a must if we are to create a diverse force.”

Kin said she believed the biggest challenge to the Police Federation would be trying to regain some of the trust and confidence of members who might have lost faith in the organisation as a whole because of the pressures on policing, the lack of resources and the stresses and strains of modern life.

She explained: “I want to rebuild this trust by representing and supporting members, making a difference, coming up with ideas, solutions and thoughts by challenging, being visible and contributing my diverse views to discussions and debates in the ever-changing police environment.”

Kin followed in her sister’s footsteps by becoming a police officer 25 years ago when women from diverse backgrounds were very rarely seen in a police uniform.

“I always thought being female and from a diverse background, it would be a no-go area for us because of the reputation of the police and because of what you saw - you never saw anybody who looked like yourself,” she said.

She was initially based on her home patch in Sandwell and now works in the Regional Organised Crime Unit as a detective inspector heading county lines investigations.

But she said she was willing to put in the hours away from her day job because she wanted to make a difference.

“The Police Federation has supported me and I want to give something back,” Kin said.

“And I think I’d be a good role model because I do think the Police Federation needs to change in line with a changing world. If we don't become more diverse we are going to be left behind.”