One of the highlights of Police Week this year was the Police Week Seniors Tea at which one of our legendary police officers, retired Inspector Jean (Mattis) Vickers was recognized and presented with a basket of flowers by Commissioner Darrin Simons and Deputy Commissioner Na’imah Astwood.
This years Seniors Tea was attended by almost 400 guests and was covered in detail by the Royal Gazette which reported the following:-
“The Bermuda Police Service recognised the first Bermudian woman to join the organisation during a special tea at the Hamilton Princess & Beach Club on Friday.
Darrin Simons, the Commissioner of Police, and Deputy Commissioner Na’imah Astwood presented Jean Vickers with flowers during the Police Week seniors tea.
Ms Vickers, 92, joined the police force in 1962 and was promoted to inspector and officer-in-charge of the policewomen’s department 15 years later.
She helped to implement the now-defunct Juvenile Liaison Scheme, which addressed juvenile crime, and founded the Black Stockings, a charity comprising female police officers and traffic wardens that assisted senior citizens and young people.
Ms Vickers received the Colonial Police Medal for Meritorious Service in 1984 and the Colonial Police Long Service and Good Conduct Medal in 1987, when she retired from police work.
Ms Astwood noted that there were 18 female officers in the Bermuda Police Force — as the BPS was then known — when Ms Vickers retired, but women now comprise one third of police officers.
She told Ms Vickers: “It’s because of you that we have so many women officers on the service now … it’s not just because of your leadership, it’s because of who you are.”
The Deputy Commissioner added: “I know the barriers you had to break down felt really insurmountable at the time, but they had no test against you and you broke them down.”
Ms Vickers thanked those who helped her along her journey and advised police officers: “Stand your ground and let them know you’re the boss.”
She added: “I want to thank God for my life. I’m serving Him to the end, and when He comes, I’m ready for Him.”
CLICK HERE for the full report in the Royal Gazette including more photos and comments from Commissioner Simons and Deputy Commissioner Astwood.
Jean is happily surrounded by admiring fellow former policewomenEDITORS NOTE - Jean is one of the first police officers to have been featured in our “Then and Now” column when our ExPo website was first created in 2011. As stated above, she was the first Bermudian female police officer to join the Bermuda Police in January 1962 – over 64 years ago - and she holds a special place in our police history as not only our first Bermudian woman police officer, but as our first Bermudian woman Inspector. Jean also attended our very first 15 week course put on for local recruits at the new Police Training School. CLICK HERE to read more about the fascinating career of our inspirational “senior” woman police officer.