Hertfordshire police officer shares her story for International Women’s Day

A long-serving police officer in Hertfordshire has shared her story and experiences for International Women’s Day (8 March).

This year’s theme is ‘Inspire Inclusion’, and here Detective Constable Kriszti Gulyas has explained how and why she joined the police.

“I’m originally from Budapest in Hungary and have lived in the UK for over 25 years,” says Kriszti: “I have lived in this country for more years than I did in Hungary and yes, I still have an accent. It can be quite fun when people try to guess where my accent is from. I’ve been told South Africa, Wales, Ireland, you name it… everything except Hungarian!

“I joined Hertfordshire Constabulary in 2005 because I lived in Hertfordshire, and I wanted to create a safer place for my kids to grow up. I was also the first Hungarian in the force back then.

“Before joining the police, I was a manager at Thomas Cook and one day decided to complete my motorbike test as I wanted to ride superbikes. On my course I met some police officers and we used to joke a lot after the motorbike rides until one day, one of the officers dared me to join the police… so I did, and I’ve never looked back!”

Reflecting on her career journey so far, Kriszti says: “I’ve worked in many roles and to be truthful, I’ve loved every one of them. From Intervention/Response where you respond to emergency calls, driving fast on blue lights to Neighbourhood Policing Teams where you work closely with the community and create strong bonds. I’ve also worked in the Domestic Violence Unit, Child Protection Unit, Protest Liaison Team, Public Protection Unit and the Case Investigation Team.

“I currently work as a Detective Constable in a Local Crime Unit which is a very busy and demanding role. Last year I passed my Sergeant’s exam, so who knows what the future holds?”

“One thing I love about working for the police is the diversity of what each day has in store,” said Kriszti. “One day you could be dealing with victims who came to serious harm and trying to identify and trace the outstanding suspects whereas the following day you could be visiting a vulnerable adult, managing the safeguarding around someone after a burglary and trying to locate the stolen goods.

“The other thing I love is meeting different people, learning about their lives and about their culture.”

Speaking about what it is like to be a woman in policing, Kriszti said: “Policing and being a female police officer in what can be perceived as a ‘manly’ environment, as people would say, can be challenging at times. Historically, jobs that might be considered one for ‘the boys’ to sort out is no longer the case. With time, our outlook on policing and how we are dealing with incidents now, has changed. Here in Herts, I see a positive approach towards female officers and would say there is no job I, or any female officer, could not do if we put our mind to it.”