Sislin Fay Allen was born in Jamaica in 1939 and travelled to London in 1961 as part of the Windrush generation, initially training and working as a nurse before a chance newspaper advertisement changed the course of her career.
In 1968 Allen applied to join the Metropolitan Police after seeing a recruitment advert during her lunch break, and despite hate mail sent to the force following her appointment, she was accepted and became Britain's first Black female police officer.
Allen served at Fell Road police station in Croydon before being posted to the Missing Persons Bureau at Scotland Yard and later to Norbury police station, remaining in the Metropolitan Police until 1972.
Allen left the force to return to Jamaica with her family, where she joined the Jamaican police force, receiving recognition from Jamaican Prime Minister Michael Manley, before later returning to settle in south London until her death in 2021.
She recalled being the only Black person among the many candidates on her selection day.
Sislin Fay Allen's appointment to the Metropolitan Police in 1968 opened British policing to Black women for the first time, and a training centre bearing her name now honours her place in the history of UK law enforcement.
- 1939Born in Jamaica.
- 1961Moves to London as part of the Windrush generation.
- 1968Joins the Metropolitan Police, becoming Britain’s first Black female police officer.
- 1972Leaves the Met to return to Jamaica, joining the Jamaican police force.
- 2021Dies aged 83.
- ★ Britain's first Black female police officer, 1968
- ★ Served in the Metropolitan Police at Croydon, Scotland Yard and Norbury
- ★ Later joined the Jamaican police force
- ★ College of Policing training centre named in her honour