Police officers, staff and volunteers from forces across the country have been recognised in the Queen’s Birthday Honours List.
Among those recognised this year are President of the Police Superintendents’ Association (PSA) Paul Griffiths and former member of the PSA’s National Executive Committee, Bhupinder Rai.
Individuals from all ranks and performing a wide range of roles within the policing family, have been awarded honours for their services to policing.
Paul was elected to the position of president in 2019 having held branch and district executive roles for the association since 2010.
A Gwent police officer, he has served in both uniform and detective ranks throughout his career, performing operational, investigative and organisational roles for his force. He is a senior investigating officer, strategic firearms commander, authorising officer, negotiator co-ordinator and has led one of the largest modern slavery investigations in the United Kingdom.
Paul contributes to a wide range of national policing forums and serves as a Non-Executive Director of the College of Policing. He is an active supporter of police charities and is a trustee with Police Care UK, National Police Memorial Day Charity and Police Arboretum Memorial Trust. Paul regularly carries out major physical challenges in support of these charities, such as cycling over 2100 miles around every police headquarters and walking the full length of the Thames Path, raising more than £21,000.
As part of his work with the PSA he has influenced positive initiatives to support members and the wider workforce. He led the development of a national coaching and mentoring scheme to support officers and staff from under-represented groups which has now been embedded into the national workforce offering under the College of Policing, and convenes a regular ‘valuing difference’ forum, bringing together key leads from network groups and national police organisations to understand the issues and challenges facing the workforce.
After 29 years of Police Service, Bhupinder Rai has given decades of commitment to the recruitment and progression of under-represented groups, through a personal drive for equality and inclusion.
In 2017, she began a key role for the PSA as its lead for Black, Asian and minority ethnic members, promoting a clarity of understanding on many racial issues and supporting the national team and wider membership. She has presented nationally at key events and communicated in Punjabi for a national video on police values, which is used to support the Police Uplift Programme.
She has extended her reach and influence through television, helping Channel 4 produce a documentary on the impact of Domestic Abuse in Black, Asian and minority ethnic communities and worked in support of the BBC Asian Network, sharing her journey and personal challenges in becoming a senior officer, encouraging communities to consider a future in policing.
President of the PSA, Paul Griffiths, said: “I am humbled and honoured to receive this recognition, and to be in the company of so many inspirational recipients who have achieved such great things.
“Policing is a vocation and a passion for me and is a service I am extremely proud to be part of. The projects and achievements I have been involved in have been the work of fantastic teams that I am privileged to work amongst. I often call policing ‘the blue team’ - we’re passionate and dedicated, achieving so much by working together.
“I would like to extend my sincere thanks and congratulations to every police officer, staff member and volunteer that has been recognised today – this is a wonderful tribute to their continued efforts to serve our communities and keep people safe.
“A number of our current and former members are recognised in this year’s honours list and we are extremely proud of their achievements.
“Our former NEC member and current member of the association, Bobbi Rai is amongst these, and from a personal perspective I would like to thank her for her years of dedicated service and her valuable contribution to the Police Superintendents’ Association.
“She has provided continued support, insight and passion to drive forward our own work around valuing difference, whilst also pushing for national change in this crucial area of policing.”
Bhupinder Rai said: “I joined the police service 29 years ago with the intention of helping people. Every day since, I have strived to do the very best job I can for the public we serve.
“As with any journey, there have, of course, been challenges along the way, but I have had some excellent support from peers and colleagues and together we have worked to help to shape policing for the future. Those people know who they are and I thank them sincerely for their ongoing support.
“I still remember my early years as a police officer; not ever in my wildest dreams did I think my work would be recognised in the way that it has. My job has bought me great personal satisfaction; knowing that I am in a position where I can make a difference to others lives when they may be going through the worst of times. I hope that such recognition will help to inspire and encourage others to join this profession and to strive to be the very best that they can.
“I am deeply honoured and humbled to be recognised for just doing my job. I could not have done that job without the endless support and encouragement from my husband and sons to whom I am indebted for looking after me whenever things were tough and encouraging me to continue whenever I felt deflated.
“To receive such recognition as I approach the end of my police service fills me with great pride.”
The full Queen’s Birthday Honours List can be viewed here.
