She joined the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) as a detective sergeant working on a wide number of issues including public protection e.g., managing hate crime, preventing people trafficking, domestic violence and child abuse.
Her secondments included to His Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services and she worked abroad teaching at John Jay Exchange College of Criminal Justice New York.
[5] In October 2019, Heydari read for a Doctor of Philosophy at the University of Portsmouth with a thesis on Enhancing the Experience of Procedural Justice for Domestic Abuse Survivors by Improving the Policing Response.
[7][8] Following the murder of George Floyd and the subsequent protests, the Police Race Action Plan was set up in 2020 and Heydari became programme director.
[10][11] In 2021, Heydari launched the 'Behind the Badge' project in an attempt to encourage more Black people to join the police whether on the beat or behind a desk.