Runcorn and Helsby MP Sarah Pochin said last month she never feels comfortable seeing two female police officers together
Outgoing chief constable of Merseyside Police Serena Kennedy pictured at her office in Merseyside Police HQ(Image: Iain Watts)
Merseyside Police’s outgoing chief constable Serena Kennedy spoke of her “anger” following remarks made by an MP last month. Sarah Pochin, the Runcorn and Helsby MP, said she never feels comfortable seeing two female police officers together, instead preferring “a great, big, strapping male police officer” with a WPC.
Ms Pochin added: “We need them (female officers) to go out to certain, perhaps more sensitive situations, situations where children are involved, situations where battered wives are involved or battered girlfriends.” In an interview for tonight’s Channel 4 News, North of England correspondent Clare Fallon asked the police chief how she felt when she heard the MP’s remarks last month.
Replying, CC Kennedy, who retires on Sunday after 32 years in the force, said: “Furious, angry. I can’t believe that 50 years since we had the Gender Equality Act, the Sex Discrimination Act, that somebody is making comments about that role.
“As a mum to two daughters, and a nana to a granddaughter, I want them to never feel that they can’t do whatever they want to do, just because of their gender, they absolutely could.
“We have more work to do until we’re a 50/50 split in terms of police officers, the split between men and women, we’re not where we need to be, and comments like that do not help.”
Rob Carden will take on the Chief Constable role on Monday, September 1.
Mr Carden first joined Merseyside Police in 1992 and, during his career, spent more than 20 years serving the region’s communities before moving to Cumbria Constabulary on promotion as deputy chief constable and subsequently being appointed chief constable.
He was announced as the preferred choice by Emily Spurrell, Merseyside Police and Crime Commissioner, in May.
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