Leicester, Sep 29 (IANS): Decorated cop Manjit Atwal, who became one of the highest-ranking Sikh women in the UK police and served in various capacities from hostage negotiation to developing the force's response to sexual crimes, has retired after nearly three decades in service.

Atwal, who was the first Sikh woman police officer in Leicestershire and rose to the rank of Chief Superintendent, recalls that "there weren’t many people who looked like me, and there were even fewer women" when she joined service in 1996, the BBC reported.

Over her nearly three decades of service, she also spent 12 years working as a hostage negotiator and was honoured with the Queen’s Police Medal for Distinguished Service. She had also contributed to Operation Soteria, a national initiative aimed at improving the police’s handling of rape and sexual offences.

Dwelling on the changes she had seen between when she had donned the uniform to now, Atwal said: "There weren’t many people who looked like me, and there were even fewer women. Now, we have many more women in the force. Leicester is such a vibrant, multicultural city, and our police force must mirror the communities we serve."

"Over the last 28 years, there have been so many changes. From the evolution of the uniform - going from skirts to trousers - to seeing more women in the force, and advancements in technology. Our workforce has become much more diverse as well."

Atwal admitted that one of the most challenging aspects of her career was navigating her role as a woman of colour and a mother, especially considering the demanding shift patterns at the time.

"But I worked through those barriers and helped implement changes along the way," she added.

Atwal also expressed hope that one day, there would be a Chief Constable from a minority community.

Chief Constable Rob Nixon praised her for building trust within the community, which in turn strengthened the public’s confidence in the force.

"Internally, her legacy is inspiring staff and officers to join, remain committed to the force, and maintain a high level of integrity and community focus," he said.

Asked about her future plans, Atwal revealed that she intends to take some personal time.

"As I progressed in my career, my children grew up. Now I have grandchildren, and I want to spend more time with them and my family. I also want to reinvent myself in this new chapter of my life as the new Manjit," she revealed.