CNC Chief backs calls to #BreakTheBias on International Women’s Day 2022

More than 60% of the CNC’s 300-strong police staff are female, with over 30% in senior management positions.

The CNC also boasts one of the highest numbers of female Authorised Firearms Officers (AFO) in the country, with 14%, while over 70 women are trained in specialist roles, such as: firearms commander, police medic, enhanced carbine, launcher and interdiction team.

Chief Constable Simon Chesterman aims to do even more to #BreakTheBias by attracting women to the force while increasing the number in senior positions.

He said: “It’s important that we take time to celebrate IWD because the CNC is built on equality, fairness and inclusivity – it is, rightly, the heart of everything we do.

“I am proud that the CNC has a higher number of female AFOs than the national average, but there is always more we can do.

“The CNC is a diverse, inclusive force, and we will continue to push for gender equality. It is reassuring, however, to know we are on the right path as reading the stories and hearing from our female colleagues on International Women’s Day 2022 attest to.”

DCC Harrison is CNC’s most senior female and is responsible only to Chief Constable Chesterman.

Her role is to develop and maintain CNC’s ability to deliver its mission.

She said: “IWD gives me the opportunity to reflect on the brilliant work that has been achieved by our female staff and officers over the last 12 months.

“IWD is a time to celebrate the great women we have at CNC, the innovation, determination, courage and hard work they put in.

“It also allows us to shine a spotlight on the men, women, family and friends who power and facilitate our women to be brilliant.

“As the most senior female officer in CNC, I realise we are incredibly lucky to have such great representation across the organisation, but we can’t be complacent. We still have some way to go ensure parity is seen and felt across the organisation.

IWD is celebrated annually on 8 March, and has been since 1911. It celebrates women’s achievements and increasing visibility, while calling out inequality.

To hear a female perspective about life at CNC, visit the force’s social media channels today. Search @NuclearPolice on both Twitter and Instagram, while searching for Civil Nuclear Constabulary on Facebook and LinkedIn.

Anyone interested in joining this unique force can also find out more on our new-look jobs website at CNC Jobs.

There you will find information about the CNC, find our locations, and are able to read our diversity and inclusion policies. There’s also first-hand account about life at CNC as well as the recruitment process steps you will follow when applying for a role.

Editor notes:

The Civil Nuclear Constabulary (CNC) is a specialist police force, whose mission is to deter and defend against any attack on the UK’s nuclear sector.

Primarily funded by the site licence companies which operate the UK’s nuclear sites, CNC is governed by the Civil Nuclear Police Authority, and regulated by the Office for Nuclear Regulation.

The CNC is subject to the same College of Policing licensing process as Home Office police forces, but comes under Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS).

The CNC as a counter terrorism policing organisation is proud to deploy as a core component of the UK Strategic Armed Policing Reserve to support other police forces as part of the Protect element of the Government’s Contest strategy.

Its authorised firearms officers are sworn officers of the Crown, and our overarching responsibility is to protect the public.

As a unique police force, the CNC employs around 1,600 officers and staff across the UK’s 10 nuclear sites, with headquarters in Culham, Oxfordshire; and training facilities in Bisley, Surrey; Griffin Park, Cumbria; and Dounreay, Caithness County.