Three police forces in England – Leicestershire, Norfolk, and Suffolk – have issued both male and female warrant cards to officers who identify as gender fluid, meaning they may present as male one day and female the next. The move has drawn criticism from some politicians and campaign groups, who have described it as "absurd" and called for a return to "common sense policing."
Warrant cards are identification documents typically carried by police officers and are often required for duties such as stop-and-search or when requested by the public. The issuance of dual cards has raised concerns, particularly in light of guidance from the National Police Chiefs Council. This guidance states that intimate searches should be conducted by officers of the same biological sex as the person being searched. These concerns are further amplified by a UK Supreme Court ruling last year that defined the term 'woman' as referring to biological sex at birth.
Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp told the Mail that "woke nonsense must end" and called for a return to "common sense policing." A spokesperson for the Women's Rights Network campaign group stated that police officers need public trust and credibility, questioning the decision to issue dual cards and asserting that "the public are not stupid. They know that nobody is both sexes."
Richard Tice, deputy leader of Reform UK, also described the situation as "nonsense" and urged for common sense. These findings were initially reported by The Telegraph following Freedom of Information Act requests.
A Leicestershire Police spokesman confirmed that multiple ID cards are issued in certain limited circumstances on a case-by-case basis, in line with force equality guidance. They added that any request would consider security risks and public confidence. Spokesmen from Norfolk and Suffolk police indicated that both forces are reviewing their policies in light of recent court judgments and are awaiting further direction from the National Police Chiefs' Council, stating that arrangements for warrant cards are subject to appropriate security controls and governance processes.