TOP WOMAN COP BATTLED SEXISM TO FORGE SUCCESSFUL CAREER Rising through the ranks in a ‘man’s world’
WHEN Barbara Franklin first joined Northumbria Police in 1982, she was one of just a handful of women to wear the uniform.
Of all those recruited that year, only 6% were female and many of those officers left the force shortly after they joined.
At the time, policing was “a man’s world” and only one woman was allowed on each shift.
Like many of her female colleagues, she was expected to make the hot drinks for her male colleagues, not allowed to attend certain jobs and told she would never reach the top.
But Barbara would prove them wrong and, shortly after she joined, she became the first ever woman to patrol the Scotswood beat.
That was just the beginning and, within a few years, she had become the force’s first ever female detective.
Barbara was also the first woman in Northumbria to be promoted to superintendent and head up a murder investigation.
She retired in 2012 and has also received a medal from the Queen for her services to policing during her 30-year career. Despite the sexism she experienced in her early years, Barbara says she has no regrets – and encouraged other women to consider a career in the police on International Woman’s Day. She said: “I joined the police because I didn’t get the O-level results I needed to become a teacher, so it was my second choice career. “It was a man’s world when I joined – there was one woman on each shift and that’s all that was allowed.
“There was also one woman on each Criminal Investigation Department (CID) shift and, until that woman left, another one wasn’t allowed on the shift.
“The policewomen all had skirts, there were no trousers for women, we carried our radios in a handbag that had a special pocket on the side and I had a six-inch truncheon while the men had one that was about a yard long.
“You just accepted it – that was the way it was. It really was a man’s world
and I just had to accept it. A lot of female officers left the organisation because it really was put up or shut up. “It was very different when I left in 2012 and it was about 50% women joining the job. “You could be and do anything as a female in the job by 2012 – there was no department you couldn’t join and the sky was your limit. “When I left, I walked into Gateshead CID office and I counted half of them that were women. “I loved every day of it and there wasn’t a single day where I got out of bed and didn’t want to come to work. “I didn’t have a day off sick in 30 years, I just loved every single bit of it and there’s so much variety available I would recommend it to anyone.” As well as becoming the force’s first ever female detective, Barbara also had a number of other notable milestones. She was the first female match commander at a football match at St James’ Park but, before then, she was the first woman to go on patrol in Newcastle’s West End. Looking back, Barbara said there are many highlights but she finds it most humbling when she speaks to those female officers who she inspired to climb the police ranks.
She said: “I was the first policewoman to patrol Scotswood because before that it was deemed to be too rough.
“The children used to follow me round because they’d never seen a female police officer.
“Before me there was the policewomen’s department and I came as they were trying to get more women on shift.
“As more women came across, there was more equality, but it did take time to get there. I think we are pretty much there now.
“There were many, many highlights – becoming the first female senior investigating officer to deal with murders I thought was a great achievement; getting the Queen’s Police Medal for services to families of homicide; and heading up the hostage negotiation team for 15 years.
“At the time I was just getting on with the job and doing it to the best of my ability, but looking back now it does make me very proud.
“When I see some of the girls now that I’ve left, they are so pleased to see me and talk about me in such a positive way, it is really quite humbling.”
Barbara told her story as part of the latest in Northumbria Police’s #Proud Ofourpeople series but also as part of International Women’s Day.
Anyone interested in a career with the police can find information on the Northumbria Police website at www.northumbria.police.uk