Celebrating International Women’s Day with Sarah Crew OB 1989, First female Chief Constable of Avon and Somerset Police

Bristol Grammar School is one of the great ancient schools in the country - celebrating our 500th anniversary in 2032 – and we are proud to have been a leading coeducational school for over 40 years celebrating the achievements of all our women: our OBs, parents, teachers, support staff and students.

To celebrate International Women’s Day we're featuring Sarah Crew (OB 1989). After BGS, Sarah studied Classics at Magdalen College, Oxford. Sarah became an officer with Avon and Somerset Police in September 1994 and took on the role of Deputy Chief Constable in June 2017. In November 2021 she became their first female Chief Constable. She is also National Police Lead for Adult Sexual Offences.

Sarah shares her professional experiences and memories of BGS in the upcoming issue of the Old Bristolians magazine Bristolienses. Here is an excerpt from her OB Profile, one of several that will feature in the magazine:

What was it like being a woman in policing?

I imagine my experience was the same as being a young woman joining any established institution. Looking back, I can see that I normalised and tolerated some things that I would not now nor want to see in the organisation I lead but these things were what I had normalised and tolerated in my life before joining the Police. I have never experienced any direct or indirect discrimination and often the skills I could bring to many scenarios were valued just as much as the traditional masculine ones. I have defused many a tense situation using calmness, effective communication, and empathy. Most of my career was as a detective. This requires good instincts, disciplined thought, and clear decision-making. Gender does not come into it. In fact, some of the best detectives I have ever worked with have been women.

What have been the highlights of your career so far?

Playing my part in establishing the first Sexual Assault Referral Centre in Avon and Somerset and the first Independent Sexual Violence Advisor service. More recently becoming the lead nationally for policing on rape and adult sexual offences. This has seen me engaged in transforming our response across the country through a unique collaboration with the best academics from universities in the UK and abroad. Finally, becoming the first women Chief Constable of Avon and Somerset Police in 2021.

Why did you join the police force?
It felt exciting and challenging and I was not and have never been disappointed on both fronts. Oxford was a challenge but becoming a police officer was much harder.

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.

You can read Sarah’s full profile in the next issue of Bristolienses, out soon.