Detective Constable Usha Evans

"I’ve had nothing but positive reactions when I’ve interacted with Asian communities."

Having experienced some negative interactions with the police herself, DC Evans joined the Met as a Police Community Support Officer in 2007 and then became an officer in 2008. She wanted to help improve the relationship between the police and the Hindu community.

Since then she has enjoyed working in a variety of roles, initially working in the team responding to 999 calls. She is now a detective constable and investigates serious and complex crimes.

What is your day-to-day like?

As a detective 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. 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 the most rewarding aspect of your job?

I feel that the most value that I bring to the Met is being able to relate to Hindu communities and other under-represented communities in London. I can see a change in someone when I turn up and am able to speak with them in Gujarati. I can improve the crime reporting and victim trust and confidence with my language skills. People thank me for being able to help them and I can see that me being there has given them some comfort at a time when they’re feeling vulnerable. I’ve had nothing but positive reactions when I’ve interacted with Asian communities and that makes me feel really good about my choice to become a police officer.

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 worked hard to bring about a change to the Met’s uniform policy so Hindu officers can 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 would you say to someone considering a career in the Met?

There is lots of support available. I’m a member of the Met Police Hindu Staff Association, which is one of the many staff associations in the Met. We get together for social gatherings, just like a family and we support each other with career development and any other professional or personal issues. I got lots of support from members when I was going for promotion and I now help others. Since joining the Met 17 years ago, I’ve seen an increase in Hindu officers, and it makes me really happy to see the Hindu Staff Association growing in numbers.