Thames Valley Police officer who championed women awarded

Chief Supt Emma Garside, head of custody and criminal justice at Thames Valley Police, received the Women In Policing Award at the Thames Valley Police Federation Bravery Awards.

She is set to retire this month after three decades of service.

Reflecting on her career, Chief Supt Garside said: “In some ways it’s sad that this should be seen as unusual, and I’m pleased that more and more women are now choosing policing as a career.

“We all brought our own unique skill set and personalities to our roles and complemented each other.

“This is important on any team. We don’t want to be clones of each other, and I pride myself on always being true to who I am as a person.

“I hope I was able to demonstrate to other female officers that it is possible to progress your career and have children.

“It’s not easy, but it has definitely been worth it.”

She said the award ‘came as a complete surprise’ and credited her colleagues for their support.

Chief Supt Garside said: “It is an honour to be recognised for the work I have done over the years.

“That said, policing is a team game, and there is no way these things would have been achieved without the hard work and dedication of many other people too.”

When asked what she enjoyed most about policing, she said it was ‘making a positive difference for others and being part of an amazing blue light family’.

Her colleagues describe her as inspirational, always making time for her teams and dedicated to ensuring others achieve their potential.

Chief Superintendent Garside’s career has included delivering ground-breaking work on the IRIS Team at Oxford when she was a Sergeant, establishing the Safer Schools Initiative as an Inspector in Oxfordshire BCU, and embedding the Youth Witness Protocol and Specialist Domestic Violence Courts.

In 2021, she led the first all-female command for a Local Policing Area (LPA) at West Oxon & Cherwell.

Aileen O’Connor, chair of the Thames Valley Police Federation, said: “Thank you Emma, for your decades of dedicated service, and for being an inspiration to women across the force.

“All of the work you have led on has been delivered with passion, and you have made a hugely positive contribution to Thames Valley Police.”

Chief Supt Garside will attend the 2026 Thames Valley Police Federation Bravery Awards, which are held in association with The Thames Valley Police Group Insurance Scheme.