Satyrah, or Ty as she prefers to be called, is a Senior Crime Scene Investigator with West Yorkshire Police. When she’s not at work, darting between crime scenes, collecting and analysing forensic evidence, she’s watching one of her heroes, actress Viola Davis use her celebrity platform to highlight racial disparity.
In this interview, Ty shares her own experience of being a woman working in the police.
We’ve all seen the TV show, but can you tell us what being a Crime Scene Investigator actually involves?
So, the world of Crime Scene Investigation (CSI) is split into two. There’s volume crime, which is your high-volume crimes such as burglaries and car theft, and major crime, which is more your serious assault scenes. That’s what I do.
My job is to visit crime scenes and collect forensic evidence. That could be saliva, fingerprints, blood, or footprints. We’re trained more in observations than investigations. We’re there to make sure the physical evidence is captured and stored correctly, and it’s down to the detectives to solve the crime. You’ve got to be methodical and scientific, but also flexible to adapt to the scene of a crime. For example, if the scene is outside and it’s raining, there’s evidence you’ll need to capture first so you don’t lose it.
I come into the office on a morning, log on, and see what jobs are on that day. Then I’m out at crime scenes all day. We’re single-crewed, so it’s just me in the van filled with a load of scientific kit! It depends on the scene, but I could maybe attend around three different crime scenes a day. Once all the evidence is collected, there’s paperwork I need to do at the scene, and then there’s a bit of admin I need to come back to the office to complete at the end of the day. Unless it’s a major crime that’s covered in the media, or I’m called in to give evidence, that’s the last I hear about it. There are so many people involved in responding to a crime and we all have our part to play – both police officers and staff.
So you wear a uniform, but you’re not actually a police officer, right?
Yeah that’s right, I’m a police staff member, and I work for the Regional Scientific Support Services. We cover the whole of Yorkshire and the Humber.
How did you get into the job?
I think I was one of those weird kids who watched stuff they were too young to be watching. CSI, obviously, and other programmes like Criminal Minds. At first, I thought I wanted to be a Behavioural Analyst, but I didn’t want a job that was office based. I was always pretty good at maths and science, so being a CSI seemed like a perfect fit. I studied Forensic Science and Criminal Investigation at university, and then a couple of years after graduating I started working in volume crime, before being promoted to the job I’m in now.
What’s your favourite thing about the job?
I’d say it’s that every day is different. You never know what kind of crime you’re going to be responding to, so the job never feels mundane.
What’s the most challenging part of the job?
It’s a bit of a double-edged sword, but I’d say the unknown parts of the job are both my favourite bit and the most challenging. You’ve only got yourself to rely on at the scene to use your skills and kit to collect the evidence needed, and there’s often a lot of policy changes which can be hard to stay on top of.
West Yorkshire Police is delivering a Race Action Plan, to improve policing for Black people and become an anti-racist organisation. As a Black woman, what’s been your experience of working in policing?
I’ve always grown up in white spaces, so coming to work for the police, which I knew was a largely white-dominated workplace wasn’t too much of a shock. When I joined I was, and still am, the only Black person in my office. It comes with its challenges. As the only black woman, I feel as though I’m on the backfoot some of the time. When I first joined the police, I didn’t style my hair the way I usually would, because I didn’t want to get the questions that would follow. I haven’t experienced any prejudice or racism at work, there’s just gaps in people’s knowledge, such as knowing about Afro-Caribbean hair, and it’s always down to us, Black people, to fill those gaps, which can be tiring. I also have to think more about how situations might ‘look’. For example, if a group of all-white colleagues were having lunch together, nobody would think twice, but if there were a group of people having lunch, and they were all Black, I feel like people would have something to say about that, they’d do a double take. It’s not just a police thing, it’s a society thing. Whatever issues are in society, you’re going to see replicated in any large organisation.
There’s a lot more women working in CSI now, which is great, and hopefully the Race Action Plan will see the representation of Black people in the police increase.
There’s been times that I’ve seen a group of Black people near a crime scene and waited in the van until they’ve left. That comes from a fear of being judged, for being Black and working for the police. Sometimes, I feel that other Black people might see me as a traitor. It’s one of the reasons I’m doing this interview, to show that’s it not a bad thing to be Black and work for the police, and I wish people could be more open-minded.
Did you have any preconceived perceptions of the police before joining and did they change once you joined?
I didn’t really, but some of my family were sceptical and felt sure I’d have a bad experience and not be treated well. They were wrong. I was lucky to have joined a really great team. If I’m honest, if there was a way I could have become a CSI without working for the police, I’d have taken it, to avoid the risk of it not going well. But I’m glad I didn’t. I do believe that you’ve got to be part of the change.
What do you think needs to change in policing, to improve the service for Black people, and earn back the trust and confidence of Black and Black heritage communities?
I think there’s some positive change happening, but it’s about keeping momentum, putting more effort in, and having a better engagement with the public. The police need to be massively positive in their engagements with Black communities, to compensate for the negative.
The theme for this year’s Black History Month is ‘reclaiming narratives’, which is all about honouring our Black heroes, and shining a light on the contributions and achievements of Black individuals both in the UK and globally. Who is your hero?
I’ve got two. The first is Viola Davis. She’s an American actress and the first Black female to win an Emmy as a lead actress in a drama series. I feel like Viola really uses her fame and platform to highlight racial disparity. She knows her own power and isn’t afraid to use it.
The second is Candice Carty-Williams. She has a best-selling book called ‘Queenie’ which has been described as the Black version of Bridget Jones. She’s done a lot to increase Black British reputation in the media, and I’ve really resonated with a lot of the stuff she’s done.