"We are the voice of officers and their strongest advocates."
Alex Yates is a Hub Inspector based at London Waterloo and has been a Fed Rep for a year. Alongside her rep duties, she is misconduct trained and supports colleagues through some of the most difficult moments of their careers.
We spoke to Alex about her career to date, what drew her to the role of Fed Rep, and why she believes peer representation matters so much in policing.
A career built on movement
Alex joined BTP in 2005 and has worked across response, neighbourhood policing, and proactive teams throughout London. As a sergeant, she served in the former Suicide Prevention and Mental Health Unit, as well as at Cambridge, Paddington and King's Cross, in custody, Specialist Operations, and the Civil Protection Unit.
As an inspector, Alex has worked at Baker Street, Liverpool Street, and Finsbury Park, and is now substantively posted at Waterloo, where she has been for four years.
"It has been a career involving a great deal of movement," Alex said, "but I am now settled in a great post with an excellent team of officers."
Why Alex became a Rep
For Alex, the motivation to become a Fed Rep came from watching colleagues struggle without the right support around them.
"I wanted to support colleagues who I could see were going through difficult times," she explained. "This is a challenging job, and the work we do within the Federation is vital. We are the voice of officers and their strongest advocates."
It's a sentiment that captures what draws many officers to take on the rep role: not a desire for recognition, but a recognition that someone needs to be there when things get difficult.
What she enjoys about the role
Ask Alex what she gets out of being a Rep, and the answer is simple: the people.
"I enjoy spending time talking through people's situations and exploring how I can best support them," she said.
It's a role that demands patience and a genuine interest in others, qualities that come through clearly in how Alex talks about the job. She makes a straightforward but passionate commitment to listening and helping colleagues find a way through whatever they're facing.
Why peer representation matters
Alex is clear about why representation from colleagues, rather than from outside the organisation, makes such a difference.
"Officers are best supported by their peers, those who know and understand how policing impacts on our lives," she said. "Having a Federation builds trust and morale across the BTP. Having someone independent, but who understands the realities of the role, gives officers the confidence to come forward and seek support."
That balance of independence and an understanding of the job is at the centre of what we hope makes the Federation's network of Reps valuable to members. Officers facing a difficult time, whether a misconduct investigation or a personal crisis, need someone who can advocate for them without judgement, and who knows exactly what they're facing.
Alex Yates, Fed Rep on B Division (TFL Central), can be reached through the Federation. Contact details for all Federation Reps are available on the Federation's website (log in to view this content).
