Chief Constable Kennedy reflects on her role, her commitment to building trust with Black communities, and how Merseyside Police is working towards a more inclusive future.
How does it feel to be Merseyside Police’s first female Chief Constable?
It is a real privilege and honour to be Merseyside Police’s Chief Constable, but to be Merseyside’s first female Chief Constable is extra special.
When I was offered the position, it was important for me to hear that out of all the applicants, the Police and Crime Commissioner felt that I was the best person for the job.
I am grateful to have gained both operational and occupational credibility throughout my career, but I do feel that being the first female Chief Constable is something to celebrate. I recognise the positive impact that this has on women within the organisation and those considering joining policing.
What is the best thing about your role?
There are many parts of my role that I love, but a main one for me would be supporting our communities. Whether this is preventing crime, bringing offenders to justice, or supporting victims and vulnerable people, putting our communities first is always something I have been passionate about.
Saying this, smaller, everyday policing tasks are not to be underestimated. Having a visible presence in our communities, stopping and having a brew with people, listening to their needs and working with them to make improvements are all just as important responsibilities.
I recognise the hard work and commitment of our officers and staff, especially in recent weeks, and really do believe that Merseyside Police is the best force in the country.
Why have you made inclusion one of your force’s main priorities?
Throughout my service, I have always considered the importance of having an inclusive and diverse working environment.
Whilst I was Deputy Chief Constable, I decided to declare our recruitment of Black and Minority Ethnic officers a critical incident. It was quite unusual to declare a non-operational matter ‘critical’. I know that it raised a few eyebrows at the time, but for me, I knew we were not getting the traction needed or seeing the improvements necessary.
I aim to build a police service that earns the full trust and confidence of all our communities regardless of ethnicity or religion. It is not enough not to be racist. My ambition is for Merseyside Police to be recognised for being anti-racist in everything we do. I am fully committed to continuously improving and developing the trust and confidence of our Black communities by positively changing Black people’s experience of policing.
When you hear Black History Month, what comes to mind?
Black History Month provides us with a great opportunity to reflect and focus on the immeasurable talent within Black communities, who have contributed so greatly, both historically and in current times. I also think of our talented staff and officers from Black and ethnic minorities, who greatly enrich our organisation with their talent and diversity of thought. I thank them for helping support Merseyside Police to be the truly inclusive organisation we strive to be.
Why do you think it is important to have a diverse workforce?
It is so important that we enable a diverse workforce to develop and thrive. This is not just because we make more effective choices and decisions due to more diverse thinking, but when we create an environment where difference is nurtured and celebrated, our staff and officers, in turn, give the best possible service to our communities.
To be representative of the communities and build trust and confidence within them, we have to get to a place where our communities can see themselves in us, as a member of our team and a valued member of our force. If we can have a diverse workforce, I feel this shows our communities that we are committed to creating an inclusive culture.
What is Merseyside Police doing to increase its recruitment and retention of Black people in the force?
We have numerous teams across the force which help us to recruit and retain Black people. These include teams like our Outreach Team, who help to forge relationships with members of the Black community as well as inspire them to consider a role in policing.
We have a dedicated lead for the Police Race Action Plan who looks at specific areas across the force where we can improve our policing service to Black people. We have a specialist Inclusion, Wellbeing and Equality Team who provide advice, resources and guidance to enable officers and staff to bring their whole selves to work every day and expand and grow their career within the force.
We have our Community Engagement Team who engage with different members of the community to identify any issues they may face and work with them to overcome them. The team also facilitates numerous projects and schemes that provide young Black people with insight and opportunity to see what we do here at Merseyside Police. This includes the Confidence Project, which aims to provide Black youth with unique insight over six weeks, whilst developing their life skills. We are also working with partners to develop a mentoring scheme for young people, providing them with a unique opportunity to experience a vast array of potential vocations, not just policing.
These are just some of the teams we have that work both internally and externally to help ensure that our Black communities in Merseyside feel involved and represented in our force, want to continue to work for us, and feel proud to do so.
What advice would you give to anyone considering a career in policing?
I would encourage anyone to come in and spend time with us. Come and take a look around so you can get a feel for who we are and how we work.
You can spend time with our Outreach Team, where you can find out about initiatives such as our PEDALS programme that may assist you in any job applications.
Our Community Engagement Unit can also offer information about the range of entry routes to the organisation, such as the Cadets, Specials, or our apprenticeship options.
We also have our internal FORE (Focus on Race and Equality) Network, which can share more about their experiences and feelings about force culture.
I am proud of what we can offer prospective applicants and feel confident that they will find the role for them.
What are some of your proudest achievements in the force regarding diversity and inclusion?
I think there is so much that makes me proud about the genuine passion and commitment in the force, which contributes towards making Merseyside Police a great place to work every day.
In the past year alone, we have made great strides regarding diversity and inclusion, from the development of the Leadership Framework and being shortlisted as a finalist in the National Diversity Awards, to our Merseyside Police LGBT+ Network receiving the Best Staff Network at the LCR Pride Awards.
If you’re inspired by Chief Constable Serena Kennedy’s vision for a more inclusive police force and are considering a career in policing, you can find more information and explore available opportunities at Merseyside Police Careers.