'Inspirational' '91-year-old ex Edinburgh police officer who patrolled Southside streets returns to old beat

Retired police constable, Marcy d’Arcy Kincaid, joined Edinburgh City Police in 1953, serving as a constable before joining CID – she also challenged her male superiors on outdated conventions to become the first female officer in Scotland to drive police vehicles

A retired Edinburgh police constable, who was Scotland’s first female officer to drive patrol vehicles, returned to her old beat in the city’s Southside where she met current officers to celebrate her career and legacy.

Arriving with her family, PC Mary d’Arcy Kincaid was welcomed by officers at St Leonards Police Station where she spoke with Assistant Chief Constable Emma Bond about her inspiring career in the police force and shared stories of post-war Edinburgh.

70 years ago, Mary, 91, applied to be an officer on her 21st birthday – entering a workforce dominated by men, where a work culture shaped by a 1950s dominant paradigm saw female officers presented with fewer opportunities than their male counterparts.

Retired police constable, Marcy d’Arcy Kincaid, joined Assistant Chief Constable Emma Bond at St Leonards Police Station to celebrate her career and legacy in the police force

But ‘trailblazing’ Mary did not entertain such prejudice – applying for a police driving role in 1956 that was intended for male officers. Mary would then be summoned by the Chief Inspector who asked her why she applied for the role.

Recalling the time Mary said: “When the memo circulated inviting applications for police drivers, I thought why not – after all they had not specified male or female constables, so took my chance.

“I loved driving and knew I could do it well as part of my role. Despite some reluctance from some colleagues I couldn’t believe it when I was invited to go for my driver training.

“I passed with flying colours and this meant that I no longer needed a male police constable to drive me to a job, take a bus, or walk – I could drive one of the many CID vehicles.”

In 1956 Mary challenged her male superiors on outdated conventions to become the first female officer in Scotland to drive police vehicles

Mary would then go on to be one of four women from Scotland to take up a 12-month secondment opportunity in Cyprus in 1957 where she would help with the recruitment and training of female Cypriot officers, work within the control room and assist with the searching of women stopped at roadblocks. During this time she was promoted to Sergeant.

Upon her return to Edinburgh in 1958, she went back to working in the Southside before joining CID in 1960. In 1961 she was one of two women and four men selected to form the city’s Crime Team.

But despite enjoying a successful career, Mary’s time in the police force was cut short owing to a convention at the time that forbid female police officers to be married whilst employed, resigning from her duties the day before her wedding in 1961. Mary would later serve as a Magistrate in Westminster and now lives in Gloucestershire with her husband of 53 years.

Recognising Mary’s achievements, Assistant Chief Constable Emma Bond, alongside other senior officers, paid tribute to the former officer for leading change for women in policing. ACC Bond said: “Welcoming Mary and listening to her experiences and perspective was a real pleasure. Much has changed to improve the representation of women in all ranks and roles in policing over the course of the last few decades thanks to inspirational figures like Mary, quite literally, driving progress.”

The Assistant Chief Constable added: “Police Scotland is absolutely determined to continue to build on the progress led by trailblazers like Mary, to address sexism and discrimination in policing and across society and improve experiences for our officers and staff and the people who we serve."