Manjit Atwal, one of the highest-ranking Sikh women in UK police history, has retired after almost 30 years of distinguished service working for Leicestershire Police.
When she joined the force in 1996, Manjit broke barriers as the first Sikh woman police officer in Leicestershire. During her career she has served in numerous roles from hostage negotiation to developing strategies for handling sexual crimes.
Picture: Leicestershire Police
She had moved to Leicestershire from Derbyshire following an arranged marriage and had two small children. She had originally planned to go into nursing and got into Leicester Nursing School but, due to culture clashes with the family she married into, she was unable to take up the post.
However, after going to a police recruitment event with a friend she had a new plan.
“The recruiting sergeant asked me how I was going to cope on night shifts withs two young children and that just made me more determined to prove that I could do it,” she said.
“There weren’t many people who looked like me, and there were even fewer women.
“I have always thought the Sikh beliefs of equality, honesty, humility and ‘seva,’ which means service, are the same as the principals at the heart of policing and are the reasons for the success of my police career and my wider engagement across our diverse communities. I have always supported the progression of female police officers and staff, as well as those from Black and minority ethnic communities, and male colleagues across policing locally and nationally.”
Over time, she rose to the rank of Chief Superintendent and was awarded the Queen’s Police Medal for Distinguished Service. She also contributed significantly to Operation Soteria, a national initiative aimed at improving the police’s response to rape and sexual offences.
Throughout her career, Atwal also worked for 12 years as a hostage negotiator, a role that required immense skill and composure.
Chief Constable Rob Nixon praised Atwal for her outstanding contributions, particularly for building trust within the community.
“I have had the pleasure of working with Manjit across her entire service. It has been a privilege to see her grow and develop in different roles and ranks. She is an individual who makes a difference and puts her all into everything she does,” he said.
“We are immensely proud of her and all she has achieved and she will be deeply missed. She has certainly made her mark on policing and her legacy will live on in so many ways as she enters the next chapter. Thank you Manjit.”
