South Wales Police Pen Profile

My name is Daniel and I’m currently a response officer based in the Neath area.

I joined South Wales Police and began training in 2018, after achieving a certificate of knowledge in policing and applying for the role approximately 1 year prior to that.

Prior to joining SWP, I spent approximately 10 years in the hospitality sector, which has provided me with a good grounding and skill set to carry out my current role.

I had been debating whether to join South Wales Police for a number of years. I identify as BAME and in all honesty, in my younger years, I had felt a little hard done by in my experiences with police. I had been stop searched and had been pulled over a number of times as a young man. I had always felt as though the police were not there to help me, but were looking for a way to antagonise me. However, my mother achieved her childhood dream of joining the police in 2010 and from that moment constantly encouraged me to join and follow in her footsteps.

From my past experiences, I was always hesitant about applying. It wasn’t until I was contacted by a member of the Representative Workforce Team that I reconsidered. They explained to me the steps that were proactively being taken by SWP to encourage diversity and make the service more reflective of the communities that are being policed. From a personal point of view, it resonated with me, because I always felt in my youth that I would have identified far better with a police officer that understood my background and my community.

I was supported through the process of completing the certificate of knowledge in policing, before going onto complete the application process, assessment centre and relevant vetting.

Since joining, it is noticeable how much of an effort and how much consideration goes into training for officers regarding topics such as unconscious bias, race awareness and diversity. Although I am aware that I am still in the minority as a BAME officer in my area, I never feel left out, excluded or unsupported. On the rare occasions that I have experienced any racism as a part of role with members of the public, I have received support personally and professionally from my supervisor, the senior management and police federation. I’ve been provided support as a victim of hate crime and experienced first-hand the fact that SWP have an extensive support network for any victim of a hate crime.

As I progress, I hope to support more prospective officers and colleagues from diverse backgrounds in joining SWP. Although the role of a police officer is more challenging and scrutinised than ever before, it is a hugely rewarding experience and the decision to join was one that I haven’t ever regretted. 

Interested in joining South Wales Police?

Information about the South Wales Police Pre-Join Degree in Professional Policing Campaign can be found here.

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