Notts police recruits first female Muslim officer
NAZIA Kauser has made Notts policing history.
She is the first female Muslim officer in the force's history.
The Sneinton-born 26-year-old was sworn in last month, fulfilling a dream she has held since she was just 11.
"I felt overwhelmed. I took pride in saying the words to the policing oath. It brought tears to my eyes," she said.
A Nottingham Trent University graduate, Miss Kauser spent a year working as a personal assistant in Notts police's sexual exploitation and online investigation unit at Oxclose Lane police station in Arnold and was a custody clerical officer at Nottingham Bridewell, the busiest police custody suite in Europe.
"My time as a clerical officer made me realise what policing was all about," she said.
"I had applied to become a police officer in Derbyshire because Notts police were not recruiting and was expecting to start there in January. I was then told Notts were recruiting and Derbyshire allowed me to transfer my application.
"I was really pleased as I know the area and people here. I wanted to start my policing career in an area I felt comfortable in."
Miss Kauser is in her fifth week of her initial 24-week officer training course at the force's Hucknall training school.
She is spending a week at The Deaf Society in Hyson Green next month to learn more about community policing issues.
She added: "It's a lot of hard work. I want to keep my head down and get on with my first two years."
Miss Kauser said she was aware she would now be seen as a role model to other Muslim women.
"In the first two weeks after I became a police officer I thought I had to act in a certain way, but not now.
"I feel privileged and honoured to be the first female Muslim police officer in Notts. If my being here encourages other Muslim women to join the force, that's great.
"I think others may have thought about joining but not seen another Muslim woman in the job and were put off by that. Now I have done it I will be able to offer others advice and support."
guy.woodford@nottinghameveningpost.co.uk
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by sarah, nottingham
Tuesday, February 24 2009, 2:00PM
“well done”
by sahria, nottingham
Tuesday, February 17 2009, 9:16AM
“its just so sad to see that people just can't be happy for one another. and the fact that racial abuse is still so open in this country. Even if she was on a fast track scheme, it doesn't mean that they would have just given the job to her! she obviously has worked hard, it clearly states that she has a degree, so they didn't give the job to a twit!. what can i say to the common trash who hate muslims, learn to read!, the islamic religion does NOT agree with many of the things these "so called Muslims" do. The religion is about peace and love and these "so called muslims are using it for their own benefit to create terrorism around the world. They are NOT muslims, they ARE terrorists. This has no reflection on this police officer. The only thing the people are celebrating are the fact that she is the first female muslim to have acheived this in nottingham. Yes "Acheived" its nothing to insult someone about.
If you look in the dictionary then the word racist means: a belief or doctrine that inherent differences among the various human races determine cultural or "individual achievement", usually involving the idea that one's own race is superior and has the right to rule others.
i hope that this police officer never reads these horrible words some of these racist people have written, its also unbelivable that some of these sites alow this kind of blatant raciall abuse to be posted on their website.”
by anon, notts
Tuesday, February 17 2009, 9:03AM
“for the record there is no Islamic State or Caliphate in the world today.... all the muslim countries are either dictatorships, monarchies or fake democracies supported and propped by western govt.”
by Andrew, Wales
Tuesday, February 17 2009, 8:01AM
“I think we're missing the point here. Good luck to the young lady, and yes, we need muslim officers, just like we need to recruit more ethnic Officers across the board. The point is, are the Notts police going to use her as a PC pawn. Nothing against the girl, but the Police will like to be seen to have 'a female muslim Inspector' in 5 years time. It's whethers she is up to the job, and promoted on merit as opposed to PC drivel. There have been instances in the past in this Force of ethnic Officers being promoted too quickly, in front of their more qualified colleagues. It's the old 'this area is under represented by ethnic and female Officers.' Not so many years ago a group of Officers took this Force to a tribunal over such a 'promotion' issue, and won. Just food for thought.”
by jonathan, Nottingham City
Tuesday, February 17 2009, 12:55AM
“steve i think you need to wake up and smell the coffee being a white person myself i have to say nottingham is one of the most discriminative places in England you can deny it argue all you want but I've seen it with my own eyes. and to say that Islam is a sick religion well my friend i think you need to go back to school and do religious studies again the stuff that's going on in Iran has nothing to do with religion its more of a cultural thing if you rape a women, child or murder someone you will get stoned to death in America you get the lethal injection all the same thing its a life for a life.
The culture is very different in many Muslim countries i have just returned from Pakistan on India whilst traveling and lets just say its totally different there to whats its like in Saudi Arabia and Iran Culture not religion
the only thing about religion in the middle east is the situation in Palestine that's because Israel is a manufactured region after the world war it was somewhere to put the Jews after the Germans were killing them so us and the Americans stuck them in the middle of the Muslim world so we didn't have to deal with them look at your history before you make remarks again a religion.
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Tahira, Dark ages are you having a laugh? The Islamic state of Iran stoned three people to death last month, It¿s bad enough having this sick religion in this country without our police being tainted by this evil
Steve, Notts”