Detective Superintendent Leanne Walker of West Yorkshire Police will serve as the PSA’s gender inclusion representative for the next year.

 
Leanne, who applied for the post in the recent election process, has taken on the role immediately, acting as the association’s lead for matters relating to gender. She takes over from Heather Whoriskey who has supported the association in this important role for the last two years.

With 22 years’ service for West Yorkshire Police, Leanne has held a diverse range of roles in operational policing. After promotion to sergeant, she spent four years working in child protection and safeguarding, before moving on to serious and organized crime. She has worked in economic crime, human trafficking and intelligence, in professional standards and counter corruption and is currently a detective superintendent in intelligence and digital forensics. 

Leanne said: “I have consistently championed equity and inclusion, particularly for women within our profession. Throughout my career, I have actively sought opportunities to influence policy and culture to create a fair and supportive environment for all.

“In addition to mentoring others, I use my position to influence policies and processes to ensure equity for women. I am not afraid to speak out when necessary and have consistently demonstrated the courage to challenge practices that do not align with fairness or inclusion. Standing up for what is right is a responsibility I embrace wholeheartedly, and I believe this quality is vital to this role.

“This position represents an opportunity to amplify my impact by shaping national strategies that promote gender equity across policing. I bring a wealth of experience, a proven track record of advocacy, and an unwavering commitment to creating an environment where women can succeed without compromise. I am honoured to contribute my skills, passion, and leadership to the National Executive Committee (NEC) and work collaboratively to advance gender inclusion within our profession.”

Our NEC includes reserve place seats for our inclusion representatives, representing the interests of under-represented groups within our membership.  These include:

Members in these reserve places bring issues facing members, and other staff and officers within the police family, to the association to inform and support our work towards ensuring that equality and diversity runs through all we do.