From skirts and culottes to top detective... Stef’s seen it all in 30 years on the force

changes in terms of communication, staff well-being and mindfulness.

“And uniform-wise, I was 25 when I joined, and in those days you could either wear a skirt or culottes but definitely no trousers.”

From Essex, originally, she was brought up in the Midlands and has lived in West Yorkshire since 1981.

She came here to study Catering Science and Applied Nutrition at Huddersfield Polytechnic, as it then was, and has stayed ever since.

She says she still can’t fully explain why she wanted to join the police as none of her family had any involvement, though a love of horse riding meant the thought of joining the mounted section was as big a factor as any. Strangely, though, that never happened.

She joined the force on April 13, 1987, and was stationed at Huddersfield Police Station.

Nine years later in January 1996 she was promoted to sergeant and four years later she became an inspector and moved to Toller Lane, Bradford, where she led a response team.

She recalls the Bradford Riots of July 2001 as a “scary time”. She was one of the public order commanders that day and says she remembers how eerie it was driving around the city the next day and “seeing everything burnt out.”

She has also enjoyed her time on police duty at football matches and is particularly proud of her role as a trained negotiator, which dates from 2002.

Since that time she has been involved in more than 30 situations with distressed people threatening to take their lives –and has not lost anyone yet.

Stef, who has a daughter Sian, 23, added: “I’m really proud to have been a police officer for 30 years. It’s been a good career and most of the people I work with are brilliant.

“I love the variety. You come to work and never know what time you are going to go home. I don’t particularly want to retire but the time is right.”

But after April 12 that will be it.