As part of Black History Month 2025, Nuffield College, Oxford, will host a special talk and Q&A titled Trust, Performance and the Future of Public Service with Dr Alison Heydari, the most senior black female police officer in the UK to date.
The event will take place from 9:30am to 12:00pm at Nuffield College, New Road, Oxford OX1 1NF, and offers a rare opportunity to hear from one of the UK’s leading voices in policing reform and public trust. Tickets are free and can be accessed here.
Dr Alison Heydari is a Visiting Fellow at Nuffield College and Temporary Deputy Assistant Commissioner in the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS).
She also serves as Director for the Police Race Action Plan, a national initiative designed to rebuild trust between the police and Black communities while driving improvements in operational performance and equity.
She was appointed to lead the Police Race Action Plan in 2023, where her work centres on tackling critically low levels of trust and confidence in policing among Black communities. Her aim is to advance the embedding of Procedural Justice, a framework to promotes fairness, transparency, and voice within decision-making—to co-create sustainable solutions to community problems. Through this approach, Dr Heydari hopes to strengthen legitimacy, reduce harm, and ensure fairer outcomes within the criminal justice system.
Her policing career spans over two decades and reflects both breadth and depth of experience. Beginning in 2000 with Hampshire and Isle of Wight Constabulary, she advanced quickly through the Home Office Accelerated Promotion Scheme for Graduates, becoming a sergeant after only two years of service.
Over the following years, she took on key roles in Public Protection, Criminal Investigation, and Emergency Response Command, addressing complex issues such as hate crime, domestic abuse, people trafficking, and victim care.
Dr Heydari’s leadership extended beyond local policing. She served on secondment to His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services and taught internationally at John Jay College of Criminal Justice in New York.
By 2009, she had become Chief Inspector and District Commander of Portsmouth South, leading teams in diverse and challenging environments.
In 2019, Dr Heydari completed her Doctor of Philosophy at the University of Portsmouth, with research titled Enhancing the Experience of Procedural Justice for Domestic Abuse Survivors by Improving the Policing Response. Her academic and professional expertise have shaped her strategic vision for fairer policing and more effective public service delivery.
Joining the Metropolitan Police in 2020 as a Frontline Policing Area Commander, Dr Heydari quickly established herself as a reform-minded leader committed to equity and inclusion. As a woman of Guyanese descent, she has been recognised for her role in challenging prejudice within a traditionally white, male-dominated profession. So much so that her achievements have been acknowledged by the Duke and Duchess of Sussex.
Following the global outrage sparked by the murder of George Floyd and the international demand for racial justice, Dr Heydari’s leadership became central to shaping the UK’s Police Race Action Plan. She has worked closely with the National Police Chiefs’ Council, the College of Policing, the Independent Scrutiny and Oversight Board, and the National Black Police Association to promote systemic change across UK policing.
In 2021, Dr Heydari launched the “Behind the Badge” project, designed to encourage more Black individuals to consider careers in policing—on the front line or in support roles. Beyond her policy and leadership work, Dr Heydari is also a senior mounted police officer, participating in ceremonial duties as an accomplished equestrian.
The forthcoming event, Trust, Performance and the Future of Public Service with Dr Alison Heydari, promises to offer valuable insights into leadership, equity, and the evolving relationship between public institutions and the communities they serve.
It is a timely and inspiring opportunity to engage with one of the most influential figures shaping the future of policing and public service in the UK today.
