When it comes to working on behalf of members and representing their interests, Northumbria Police Federation vice chair Karen Harden is up for the fight – quite literally.
Karen is on the committee of the Northumbria Police Boxing Team having represented them twice in the ring.
And she has a two from two winning record.
“It’s an experience like no other,” she said. “The fights weren’t enjoyable but the experience was – I loved that.”
Karen was looking for new forms of exercise and workout following the birth of her daughter Amber, when she plumped for boxing training.
“I knew we had a boxing team and had been to some of the fighting events before,” she said.
“I’d always thought I’d love to do that but it was males that were boxing most of the time.
“I went to some of the classes on Tuesdays and Thursdays at Etal Lane station and ended up training and enjoying it.
Fighting
“There was another female there I was quite good friends with and she wanted to fight.
“She was doing it for a charity. You have to get matched to an opponent off weight and experience, but she didn’t get matched.
“I was asked to step in and fight her on the show.
“I thought ‘why not? No one will get hurt. It’ll be fine’.
“It was an eye-opener. It was really hard.
The training for boxing is like no other training I’ve ever done. It’s really intense. It was brilliant, and I ended up winning.
“Then, somehow, I got roped into doing another charity show. I got matched and did it again and got ’bout of the night’ on that one and won.
Boxing events
“I’m 100 per cent retired now,” added Karen, whose boxing team committee role now involves organising boxing events.
Karen joined Northumbria Police in 2009 after graduating from university in Leeds with a health studies degree.
She had always wanted to work in the emergency services and initially looked at being a paramedic but the Force was recruiting and she joined the police.
After training in Durham, she was based at Etal Lane.
“I was put on 24/7,” she recalled. “Doing night shift for the first time was an eye-opener.
“I struggled with my body clock and trying to sleep in the day – I think most people do.
Karen Harden (right) in her regular work clothes.
“It’s a big shock to the system, going from the university life, to doing night shifts.
“It was hard work and a lot to learn, but I loved it.”
Karen worked on the neighbourhood policing team, the proactive burglary team, and did a 12-month attachment with child protection, which was originally planned to be three months.
“I enjoyed the child protection work,” she said. “You got good outcomes. You felt like you were really helping people and I enjoyed that.”
Karen went on maternity leave in 2014 and returned in a part-time role on a neighbourhood support team.
Soon after, she took her first step towards becoming a Fed rep when she challenged a sergeant over working time regulations.
“They would say without any notice that you were coming into work tomorrow, that you were working on a rest day, and I didn’t like it,” she explained.
Fed Rep
“No one seemed to challenge them, but I did and looked into it.
“I started looking at working time regulations and that side of it, and I thought I want to become a Fed rep.
“A colleague, who was a Fed rep, had witnessed me stand up to the sergeant and asked if I’d considered it.”
Karen more than considered it and on finding there was a vacancy she became rep.
“My main goal was to focus on equality, especially with people that had returned from maternity,” she said. “I felt I was being targeted for that.”
Karen had to work from home during the pandemic due to having asthma, and took on increasing amounts of Federation work.
“I had a real drive to represent officers who were finding themselves in an unfortunate position,” she said. “It went from there and just took on more and more.
CAPLO lead
“You have hard days and it can frustrating, but when you get the right results and you see how a person’s gone through a journey, it means a lot.”
In 2023, Karen took on the full-time Federation role of deputy conduct and performance liaison officer (CAPLO) before becoming the CAPLO lead and vice chair last year.
“I’m thrilled to be CAPLO and vice chair and I’d like to continue doing it as long as I can,” she said.
“I really enjoy helping and supporting people.
“It’s important that the Federation is here for our members, and they feel they’ve got the support and someone to turn to in their darkest times.
“That doesn’t just include officers who are going through criminal or misconduct proceedings, it’s victims or witnesses as well.
We’re here to support them because they’re entitled to support. They’re Federation members as well.”
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