80th anniversary of appointment of south Wales’ first female police officer: Winifred Stephens

Women’s History Month gives us the opportunity to reflect on the exceptional contributions and milestones of women in policing, past and present, and the roles they have played in shaping the services we deliver to communities across south Wales.

One of the key milestones we’re celebrating this month also coincides with a significant anniversary for our force. Eighty years ago in 1946, Winifred Stephens successfully applied to join the Swansea Borough Constabulary and in doing so became the first female police officer appointed for duties in south Wales.

The appointment of WPC1 Stephens was clearly a catalyst for change and would signal the beginning of a new era for policing here in south Wales. However, from Winifred’s point of view at the time, it may have simply meant a change in uniform.

During the Second World War, Winifred served the people of Swansea as a member of the Women’s Auxiliary Police Corp (WAPC). Her responsibilities will have included operating switchboards, taking emergency calls, patrol and welfare work, and taking evidence at scenes of accidents – so when the time came for Winifred to join the Swansea force, she had already gained several years’ experience in working with communities.

On joining the Swansea Borough in June 1946, Winifred was sent for thirteen weeks training in Bridgend before being assigned to police duties. Within weeks of her deployment, she gained recognition in the local press for preventing a road accident, when a breakaway trailer came loose from a car on the Swansea High Street. The quick-thinking constable bravely tackled the trailer and eventually guided it to the side of the road.

WPC1 Winifred Stephens

Winifred’s work also later caught the attention of the force’s then-Chief Constable, David Turner, who awarded her a commendation for her bravery and prompt action in helping to prevent a woman from taking her own life.  

Winifred Stephens resigned from police duties in January 1951 to get married and start a family. In all, and including her time as a WAPC, she dedicated ten years’ service to the communities of Swansea. Her conduct – which was marked at the end of her service – was noted as exemplary.

This month and eighty years on from her historic appointment, we remember her legacy and pay tribute to the services she gave to the people of Swansea.