Celebrating women in policing as world cup arrives in Bristol

The arrival of the Women’s Rugby World Cup in Bristol marks a moment of celebration for Avon and Somerset Police.

The police operation for the international sporting event will see an female-led command team take the helm.

The operation has seen officers working in partnership with colleagues from Visit West, Bristol City Council and World Rugby to ensure the safe and smooth running of the matches.

Two of the quarter finals will be played at Ashton Gate Stadium on Saturday 13 and Sunday 14 September, including England Roses’ clash with local rivals Scotland.

Both semi-finals matches are due to take place next week.

A fan zone will be set up in the city centre, with officers stationed nearby to keep communities safe and ensure everyone enjoys the World Cup.

Every policing operation is run by a Gold, Silver and Bronze Commander, who are then supported by respective Public Order Public Safety Advisors (POPSAs), they are then bolstered by a team of officers and staff who assist in the planning and running of the event.

At the helm of the operation is Assistant Chief Constable Joanne Hall, who is supported by her Silver Commander Supt Vicks Hayward-Melen and Bronze Commander Ch Insp Karen Corrigan.

The role of the Gold Commander is to create the policing strategy for the event and the Silver Commander is responsible for the delivery of these plans.

Ch Insp Corrigan, as the Bronze, will lead the teams on the ground during each of the quarter and semi-final matches.

ACC Hall said: “Having a female-led command team is still quite rare in policing and we are very lucky at Avon and Somerset Police to have experienced officers able to step into these command roles.

“We have many amazing colleagues within our force of all genders, but this was a moment where we could align ourselves with the celebration of women in sport and the key messages being shared during the Women’s Rugby World Cup – this is something I reflected when selecting my operational team.

“Across my 26-year-long career in a male-dominated field, I wanted to celebrate how far women have come in policing. We are working hard to improve the balance of genders in the force, especially at rank and in specialist teams. We believe if you can see it, you can believe it and by having so many brilliant women on this operation, it may encourage the next generation of young police officers.

“I chose this team because we have such an array of women who are confident in their chosen fields and capable of helping to deliver a safe and enjoyable tournament for all.  

“Supt Hayward-Melen and Ch Insp Corrigan are two of our most experienced public order commanders and their knowledge will be pivotal during this operation.

“The policing operation will see officers within the footprint of Ashton Gate Stadium, the surrounding areas and within the fan zone. They are there to engage with the public and keep everyone safe, so please stop and say ‘hi’ to our teams and enjoy this significant moment in our city’s history.”

We have marked the Women’s Rugby World Cup in a number of ways, including the formal naming of Police Horse Ashton, formally named Arthur Apples; predictions from some of our police animals; a collaborative video with our stakeholders and a video celebrating our female officers and staff.

We still have more to come over the next two weeks so please do follow along on our social media and join us in wishing all teams travelling to Bristol for the quarter and semi-finals the best of luck.