DC Usha Evans

"The Met really does have endless opportunities, through the last 14 years I have enjoyed a wide variety of roles and have experienced moments that have helped me grow professionally and personally."

Having experienced some negative interactions with the police herself, DC Evans joined the Met as a Police Officer in 2008, she wanted to help improve the relationship between the police and her own community.

Since then she has enjoyed working in a variety of roles, including responding to 999 calls on the Emergency Response Team, proactively organising and carrying out operations as part of Taskforce as well as processing prisoners and taking investigations to court q while in the Crime Progression Unit. In 2017 Usha applied for the role of Detective Constable, she now works closely with victims investigating serious and complex crimes.

What is your day to day like?

As a Detective Constable my role involves attending crime scenes, identifying victims, interviewing suspects and dealing with evidence. I am involved in a case right from the initial interview up until court, when you get that end result.

Before a case can go to court I have to liaise with an officer who has reviewed the evidence or directly with the Crown Prosecution Service. Once a charge has been authorised I will then be the one to charge the suspect, this is when the court process begins.

Seeing the case develop and working so closely with the victim can be an extremely rewarding experience, especially when you are able to help get justice for them.

What is your most memorable moment?

I remember one Christmas Eve I was called out to case of domestic violence. A father had become extremely aggressive and I had to work on calming down the situation and comforting his terrified three year old son. After the incident I spent time with the mother helping her bake cupcakes for her son, which she had promised him, while taking her statement. Sometimes it is the small things you can do for someone that are just as important as those big moments.

How did your friends and family react to you joining the police?

On the whole my community did not have a positive relationship with the police, including myself at times. Since joining and understanding the challenges that police have to deal with, I try to make small changes to make big differences to the community as a whole.     

My family had a mixed reaction - my mum was not happy, mainly because she worried about me being out in London at night, but the reality is that you are never alone, you are well prepared and if you ever need support it is always there. My dad was actually very excited about the idea. However, it was not the most traditional route to take for a women in my culture. You can’t let the opinions of others stop you from doing what you want to do.

Have you had to overcome any significant barriers?  

As a British born Hindu, it’s important to me to keep my identity. Being able to wear my Chandlo (a religious mark applied on the forehead) enables me to feel myself. London is one of the most diverse cities in the world so it is important that the Met reflects and supports diversity within its own officers.

I was recently involved in a successful appeal to adapt the uniform policy further to allow Hindu officers to wear a number of items that hold religious or cultural importance. It's not just about what the item represents to me but what it says to the communities I police. If the item resonates with an individual it can immediately make you more approachable, even to those who would not usually speak to the police.

What are your goals for the future?

The Met really does have endless opportunities, through the last 14 years I have enjoyed a wide variety of roles and have experienced moments that have helped me grow professionally and personally.
Progression within the Met is encouraged, there is always someone on hand to give you advice on how to get somewhere and usually there are many different routes you can take!

I have always had the goal of going into Aviation (policing airports), which I recently achieved, I will be joining the Aviation Team at Heathrow Airport in 2021, which I am extremely excited for. I have also recently passed the Sergeants exam, which again has opened up more opportunities. You really can work in any unit you set your mind to.