Britain's first Jedi police woman harnesses the Force to catch criminals

By Daily Mail Reporter
Last updated at 2:33 PM on 23rd April 2009

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Meet PC Pam Fleming - the first Jedi police officer to admit she is a devotee of the Star Wars-inspired religion.

PC Fleming, a beat officer who has patrolled the mean streets of Glasgow for the past 23 years, stepped proudly forward today - light sabre in hand - to say 'I'm a Jedi and I'm proud'.

She even admits to using Jedi mind tricks during interviews with suspects in 'an effort to achieve the truth', although she tells industry magazine Police Review that she does not use 'The Force' to influence what suspects say or do.

PC Pam Fleming has stepped forward as the first Jedi police officer

Jedi mind tricks are used in the Star Wars movies by characters Obi-Wan Kenobi and Luke Skywalker to 'influence the minds of weak-minded sentient beings' to get them to do what you want them to do.

PC Fleming, who is one of ten police workers - eight of them officers - at Strathclyde Police who have listed their religion as Jedi, said her faith helped her 'fight crime and disorder on Glasgow's streets'.

She said: 'Being a Jedi is a way of life.'

Speaking in casual outfit - rather than her uniform or Jedi cloak - the 45-year-old beat officer added: 'For me, it is not a joke. I love the Star Wars films and the concept of being a Jedi.

'The faith is not divisive. It does not matter what your race, faith or sexual orientation is - you can be one. It is all encompassing.'

The PC, speaking at the annual Scottish Police Federation conference in the sleepy town of Peebles, near Edinburgh, this week said she had even stared calling her rookie cop a Padawan (a Jedi apprentice).

She said: 'I have been a confirmed Jedi on force monitoring form for three years now.

'I like the principles such as inclusiveness and oneness - that we are all part of one plan.

'I have even started calling my probationer, as a joke, my Padawan (Jedi apprentice). Although I am not sure he likes that.'

PC Fleming said she knew some of the other Jedis on her force, but said it was not a secret society and that anybody could join.

Inspiration? Jedi Obi-Wan Kenobi played by actor Ewan McGregor (L) and his apprentice, Anakin Skywalker played by Hayden Christensen

She added: 'We do not meet up and seek each other out. It is not a secret society.

'But I am getting more and more colleagues telling me they are Jedis though - even Federation representatives here today.'

She even said that the Jedi faith was a model for everybody, especially police officers, adding: 'I think all police officers are, or should be, Jedis.'

Other police officer in Glasgow, however, said they thought being a Jedi was 'ridiculous'.

John Miller, a community enforcement officer in Glasgow city centre, said: 'I have never heard of anything as ridiculous in my life.'

Colleague Allan Scott said: 'We work very closely in partnership with Strathclyde Police officers but we have not met any Jedis yet.'

An officer for British Transport Police, when asked if he was a Jedi, replied: 'No - we take our jobs much more seriously.'

The Jedi religion, which has more than 400,000 members in the UK, is inspired by the Star Wars films in which the Jedis represent the 'light side' in the fight against Darth Vadar's 'dark side'.

The Jedi Church believes that there is one all powerful force that binds all things in the universe together.

It states on its website: 'The Jedi Church recognises that there is one all powerful force that binds all things in the universe together, and accepts all races and species from all over the universe as potential members of the religion.

'The Jedi religion is something innate inside everyone of us, the Jedi Church believes that our sense of morality is innate. So quiet your mind and listen to the force within you!'

It continues: 'There are two sides to the force, the dark side and the light side. Beware of the dark side... The dark side leads to fear. Fear leads to hate. Hate leads to suffering.'

Editor of Police Review Chris Herbert said: 'So will the other members of the Jedi faith come forward?

'Perhaps they will surface in a couple of weeks on their favourite day. May the 4th will soon be with us.'

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