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Sobia Yasin, police officer

My story...

How did you get into the police?
I always knew I wanted to be a police officer, but when I asked my careers advisor at school they discouraged me. I went to an Islamic girls school in Manchester and it wasn’t the done thing for girls to go into the police.
I did a food technology degree and ended up working in a jam factory, but found it was a bit isolated so I tried working for a bank, in the sales team. I didn’t take to this either, because of the pressure to hit sales targets.

My husband encouraged me to apply for a job with the police, because he knew that is really what I wanted to do. He pushed me all the way. He said if you want to do it, go for it.

What do your parents think?
My mum and my sister were proud of me right from the start. Dad had his reservations. He worried because I am a girl and he worried about racism. Now he is happy and he tells everyone what I do. My family are all proud of me now – that their daughter can make a difference.

What does the job involve?
I worked for 2 years in Manchester city centre. It was really busy on Friday and Saturday nights when people had been out drinking. It was a culture shock, but I enjoyed it. It was quite exciting.

Then this role came up in the Neighbourhood engagement team. I applied because I have cultural links with the Pakistani community in Cheetham Hill. I attend sessions with women and run a girls forum to discuss topics on crime prevention, domestic violence etc and can talk to them in Urdu if needs be. I attend many of the local schools and now kids wave at me if they see me in the street. I love it. You can see the appreciation and I can see I am making a difference. I have been here 12 months now and feel there is more trust from the community. My husband and family are proud of me, knowing that their daughter can make a difference.

What is your experience as a Muslim woman in the police?
I have been really lucky. The support is really good. I was the first officer in Greater Manchester Police to wear a headscarf, but no one said anything about it in training. When I went out on the streets, I got my mum to adjust it so it had buttons instead of pins, for safety reasons. In the end I found this bandana style head covering on the internet with the help of the Muslim Police Association. The first time I meet anyone they say can I ask you something and I know what they are going to say - is it racist? - I have not had any comments - people know how seriously it is taken. Everyone has been really nice to me.

What advice would you give to girls thinking of joining the police?
I’d like to say how good it is and encourage other females to consider it as a career. I really love my job. You don’t have to have a degree. It’s about customer service and being able to talk to people. Qualifications are not so important.

It’s a career for life. After your 2 years of probation you can really do anything you want. There are so many jobs, so many different units. I joined when I was 25 but I could have joined earlier. I wish someone had come to talk to me about it when I was at school.