Daphne Skillern

Kathleen Daphne Skillern QPM (1927/1928 – 20 October 2012) was a British police officer. She was the second woman to hold the rank of commander in the London Metropolitan Police (after Shirley Becke) and the first woman to head a branch at Scotland Yard apart from A4 (Women Police), which was disbanded in 1973; in 1974 she took command of CO (Commissioner's Office) Branch, responsible for research and personnel.

Skillern spent most of her career as a detective in the Criminal Investigation Department. She was promoted to commander on 29 April 1974. In August 1977 she was transferred to head the C1 Department of CID, which included the Obscene Publications Squad, the first woman to head this department. She was awarded the Queen's Police Medal (QPM) in the 1979 Birthday Honours.

References

• Obituary, The Telegraph, 7 November 2012