There are many different definitions of the word imagine. Una’s favourite is ‘to believe that something probably true’. It gives us the murmur of potential, as individuals, as families, as communities - the beginnings of hope. These beliefs are formed early. We are often told you cannot be what you cannot see. However, Una believes you cannot be what you can’t imagine. She shares her thoughts on what shaped her ability to move ‘beyond the uniform’, beyond what her story, her people and her place would have imagined for her and the lessons we can learn from that as a society, that might help us imagine what we can become.
Una has been a serving police officer for 17 years, starting her career in the Police Service of Northern Ireland and currently serving in South Yorkshire. She is one of two PIP 4 qualified senior investigating officers in South Yorkshire Police, a role held by a small cadre of officers nationally, for use in serial, serious and complex homicides. She has just recently been promoted to Chief Superintendent as District Commander in Rotherham. Graduate of the Queen’s University Belfast and Cambridge University, Una has a strong academic background and interest in evidence based policy and practice. She is mother to a delightful 15-year-old daughter and her partner is a serving police officer. @UBJennings This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at www.ted.com/tedx