PC Bev

Behind the flashing blue lights and fast cars, there is another story.

Beverley Douglas was one of the first Black women to join the Avon and Somerset Constabulary, becoming a Special Constable in 1983, three years after the 1980 St Paul's riots in Bristol.

This is an emotive, emotional journey of Beverley's thirty-year police career. Embarking on a journey where she faced aggression and hostility from the black people she called her own. This was a rude awakening of what was to come. Outcast and ostracised, she remained steadfast and resilient even though she was rejected on both sides.

From the first day of walking into the police station, she was viewed with suspicion and knew from the menacing stares from some of her colleagues that she wasn't welcome. Many showed no regard towards her ethnicity and were openly racist and sexist in her company. She had to deal with colleagues who questioned her motives and made no apology for their misogynistic behaviour.

Her passion to make a difference showed resilience in wanting to change the status quo of under-representation within the rank and file, where male domination was rife throughout.

The community knew the police were actively trying to recruit people from diverse backgrounds, but there was resistance. Relations were raw, fractious, and the wounds were still open from the aftermath of the St Paul's riots.

Stress and mental health lurked in the background, unnoticed, because these topics were taboo, and showing vulnerability was seen as a weakness.

Beverley had a fulfilling and rewarding career, breaking down barriers and raising the bar for the future of policing.

With the help and support of friends, family, and the NHS Community Mental Health team, she was able to tell this incredible story of resilience and hope.