While it may not be polite to ask a woman her age, DC Emma Bee is proud to say she recently celebrated her 21st birthday.
But the milestone marker she is referring to isn’t the date she was born, it is the date she became a cop and started a career that has seen her help to lock up some of society’s most dangerous criminals and earned her a few accolades along the way.
“After completing my masters in Criminology at Loughborough University I joined the police in February 1999. My intention was always to be a detective and after four years as a uniformed officer I achieved my ambition”, said Emma.
“I have investigated hundreds of cases over the years and have probably worked on every type of crime you could think of.
“As a detective working in the city I investigated burglaries and vehicle thefts – the everyday offences that tend to impact people in society the most. I’ve also worked in serious and complex teams - tackling crimes involving drugs, weapons and organised crime groups; as well as working on one of Leicestershire’s largest child sex offender investigations and the first-ever honour based violence conviction in the UK.
“One of my biggest personal values is to treat people as I would like to be treated. I apply this when dealing with all the victims of my investigations to ensure I do my best to get justice for them and their families.”
For four years, between April 2015 and April 2019, Emma also worked tirelessly on a very difficult case where the victim was stabbed several times, causing life threatening injuries.
The case involved a number of suspects and required a huge amount of investigative skill and expertise – conducting hundreds of enquires and completing statements with a number of people who were involved or witnessed the incident. It resulted in a number of defendants being convicted for their part in the crime, including two for attempted murder.
For her work on this operation, Emma has been honoured with a Chief Constable’s Commendation and was also named ‘Investigator of the Year’ at the force’s annual award ceremony – the same week she received national recognition in the Police Federation’s National Detectives’ Forum awards.
Most recently the case has also gained her global and national recognition after she was named a winner in the 'Excellence in Performance' category by both the international and British associations of women in policing.
Emma’s speciality is preparing evidence and building cases for trial at court and is regarded as one of the go to detectives in force.
After a stint in 2009, Emma re-joined the force’s murder investigation team in 2017 and has been instrumental in helping to bring a number of killers to justice in Leicestershire and across the East Midlands region.
As a working mum who is extremely passionate about her job, she also shares her knowledge and experience to new recruits in the hopes of inspiring the next generation of detectives.
Emma added: “I love my job and am proud of what I have achieved in my policing career so far. I think it is important to share my journey with others, particularly other women and working mums, to show it is possible to achieve your ambitions.”
