Join us on Friday 7 May at 1pm on Zoom to hear from Old Bristolian Sarah Crew about her career since BGS. Sarah is currently the Deputy Chief Constable for Avon and Somerset Police.

Sarah joined Avon and Somerset Police in 1994 and, after spending two decades working in uniform and Criminal Investigations Department (CID) roles, rose through the ranks of Detective Chief Inspector, Detective Superintendent in charge of Bristol CID and Commander of the South Gloucestershire policing area.

Appointed Deputy Chief Constable in 2017, she is now the most senior female police officer in Avon and Somerset. Sarah is responsible for delivering an effective and efficient police service, the smooth day-to-day running of the organisation and high levels of achievement in performance, standards of behaviour and change and development. 

During her career one of Sarah’s proudest achievements has been the founding of Operation Bluestone, an award-winning, nationally-recognised approach to the detection, investigation and prevention of rape and serious sexual assault, with tailored victim support and advice and encouragement to come forward.

Working with partners, she has also delivered The Bridge Sexual Assault Referral Centre in Bristol, which provides medical care, emotional and psychological support and practical help to anyone who has been raped or sexually assaulted and helped develop what has become the SafeLink service, providing specialist support for victims of rape and sexual abuse.

Sarah is The National Police Chief Council’s (NPCC’s) national lead for adult sexual offences, representing policing on these crimes at a national level.

In her own time she is Chair of Trustees for The Wheels Project which centres on crime prevention, offering life skills and practical training, some with nationally-accredited awards, to socially-excluded teenagers who may be struggling with academic studies or have low attendance levels.

Sarah says:

“My drive for fairness and equality lies at the heart of my passion for policing.

I have always been determined to stand up for the underdog and against the bully, and policing seemed to me to offer the greatest opportunity to help people directly on a personal, practical and human level. It’s also important to me to be part of a team with the same clear mission and values.

“I believe policing is about helping to create the conditions that help people and their communities to thrive and make life choices and opportunities better for everyone.

“I know policing cannot do this alone, but it certainly has a role to play in establishing safety, confronting those who threaten that safety and standing up for those within our communities who are less fortunate, less equipped or have a quieter voice.”