Top police officer who faced sexist and homophobic abuse about her hairstyle after appearing on television could become Derbyshire’s next chief constable
- Rachel Swann was at the centre of the Whaley Bridge evacuation last year
- She was mocked by TV viewers who threw jibes at her spiked, dyed hairstyle
- Miss Swann is the preferred candidate for Derbyshire’s chief constable job
- Will now face confirmation hearing by Derbyshire’s Police and Crime Panel
A police officer who faced sexist and homophobic abuse about her hairstyle could become Derbyshire’s next chief constable.
Rachel Swann was mocked by cruel TV viewers who threw jibes at her spiked, dyed hairstyle on social media while she was at the centre of the Whaley Bridge evacuation last year.
Derbyshire Police and Crime Commissioner Hardyal Dhindsa today announced that Ms Swann was his preferred candidate for the chief constable job.
Ms Swann – who is currently the force’s deputy chief constable – will now be subject to a confirmation hearing by Derbyshire’s Police and Crime Panel.
She was the public face of a huge police operation to evacuate 1,500 residents at risk of drowning after the dam at Toddbrook Reservoir threatened to burst last year.
Deputy chief constable Rachel Swann – who faced sexist and homophobic abuse about her hairstyle – could become Derbyshire’s next chief constable
Ms Swann said some of the abuse she received about her looks at the time was ‘misogynistic and homophobic’ and she took a temporary break from Twitter. She has since returned to the platform.
She told BBC Radio Derby: ‘I can take a bit of banter but it became sexist and homophobic, and really insulting.
‘The bit that really hurt was people saying I had no standards and I was letting policing down.’
She added: ‘Yes, I am a woman. Yes, I might have a slightly different hairstyle. Yes, I am quite small. I could not believe that my mere existence could cause such a depth of feeling.
‘Some comments were misogynistic and homophobic and the abuse has been recorded as a hate incident, just as for the public.’
Ms Swann (pictured) was the public face of a huge police operation to evacuate 1,500 residents at risk of drowning after the dam at Toddbrook Reservoir threatened to burst last year
She was hit by further abuse following the announcement of her nomination on Friday with critics slamming her hairstyle as inappropriate.
Jerry Yimby wrote on Twitter: ‘Really sorry, but anyone who believes that is an appropriate “look” to portray their professionalism in public, has a flawed idea of what is important and representative. Therefore, I would struggle to trust her judgement.’
But other officers jumped to her defence, with Gwent Police’s Chief Constable Pam Kelly calling her a ‘true professional’ and a ‘fantastic person’.
She was hit by further abuse following the announcement of her nomination on Friday with critics slamming her hairstyle as inappropriate
Ms Swann said: ‘I’m absolutely delighted and feel extremely privileged to be the preferred candidate the post of Chief Constable.
‘Derbyshire Constabulary is a really good force with great people working in it and I look forward to working with the PCC to deliver a good level of service to our communities.’
Mr Dhindsa said: ‘I am delighted to announce current deputy chief constable Rachel Swann as my preferred candidate for the role of Derbyshire’s next chief constable.
‘Derbyshire remains one of the safest counties in the country and the pressure has been on to find a driven and inspirational new leader to take the helm of the force.
‘The selection process has been extremely challenging and it has been difficult to choose between such high calibre candidates.
But other officers jumped to her defence, with Gwent Police’s Chief Constable Pam Kelly calling her a ‘true professional’ and a ‘fantastic person’
‘However, Rachel’s depth of experience and proven leadership will ensure Derbyshire Constabulary continues to go from strength to strength in the future and I look forward to working with her in her new role. I would like to congratulate her on her success during what was a rigorous recruitment process.’
The next chief constable will take over from Peter Goodman, who is retiring after a 32-year career in policing.