Be Lads Campaign Founder, Poppy Murray, has secured the support of UK police forces after presenting the initiative at a UN HeForShe Police Ally event.
Miss Murray (pictured) was invited to give the keynote speech at the annual event, which saw over 70 police officers meet to discuss initiatives to promote gender equality within policing and the wider public. It was the first time a speaker from outside of the police had been invited to give a presentation.
The event was attended by police from forces across the UK including the MET, Thames Valley and City of London. Guernsey Police Deputy Chief Officer, Ian Scholes, also attended.
This year’s event took place following the recently published Casey Review – which labelled the MET police as institutionally misogynistic – as well as high-profile cases of officers sexually assaulting women, most recently the case of David Stansbury in Plymouth.
Miss Murray. said: “The public’s trust in the police has undoubtedly been strained following widespread news of officers who have abused their positions to commit sexually-motivated crimes against women. However, just as it’s not all men who are threats to women, not all police officers are abusing their power.
“While it is important for the public to see that most police officers are good people dedicated to serving and protecting their communities, it is equally important for the police to recognise why it is difficult for the public to trust them. I believe the best way to rebuild trust is not for the police to say that they are trustworthy, but instead to tell the public what options they have if they do not trust the police, which I included in my presentation.”
Miss Murray – who founded BE LADS in the wake of the murder of Sarah Everard by MET police officer, Wayne Couzens, in 2021 – said the feedback she received from her presentation had been ‘overwhelming positive’.
Guernsey Police Deputy Chief Officer Ian Scholes, who attended alongside Communications Officer Stephen King, said: “Attending this conference was invaluable for us. We have come away with numerous tangible ideas that we can implement in our organisation to help improve gender equality, not only in our overall work force numbers, but in positions of rank right across the spectrum. HeForShe is not purely about numbers of women in roles though, it is about ensuring that all staff have access to proper support from their line managers and senior management alike. It is also about looking outwardly to ensure women are safe in our communities.
“The talk Poppy gave about her campaign was truly inspiring. She rightly identified that as police officers, we are in positions of responsibility and have the power to enact change. We should be pushing for equality for all genders inside and outside of our organisations, and I am committed to seeing that happen.”
