#HumansofWMP: Helal Uddin, special constable

• Helal Uddin joined us in 2015 because he wanted to bridge the gap between his community and the police
• He’s been a youth worker for almost two decades
• After leaving us to join the Home Office he’s returned as a special constable and says it is an honour

I grew up in an urban, inner city part of Birmingham, where society labels my community ‘socially deprived’. Unemployment, crime and misuse of illegal substances was high.

Sometimes it felt like a ‘them and us’ situation with the authorities.

I wanted to bridge the gap. I wanted to break down barriers, build trust and confidence. I wanted to be a role model for young people. 

I’ve been a youth worker for almost two decades, engaging with the most vulnerable and hard to reach young people, mainly from the South East Asian and Somalian community. Through this, I met PC Dave Steadman and PCSO Thomas Bradbury from WMP, who encouraged me to apply to join the force. I remember telling PC Steadman I wanted to become a police officer, just like him. 

I applied to join West Midlands Police in 2015 after university – and passed.   
I was delighted to get my uniform, with the iconic helmet, shiny black boots, creases down the trousers, finished off with my weatherproof pocket notebook.  

I loved my time as a PC. I worked in response, CID and neighbourhood. I’ll never forget being part of an operation involving nearly 10,000 officers protecting then US President Donald Trump.

In 2019 I joined the Civil Service. I currently work in Border Force in the multi-agency hub, which is completely different. It’s not as fast-paced but I’m fortunate to be still protecting our communities from harm, which I’ve always loved doing. 

However, I didn’t want my knowledge and experience to go to waste so I decided to become a Special Constable with my old Neighbourhood Task Force (NTF) team, who are responsible for warrants.   

I’ve had great support from my managers and the Home Office to do this and I’m really enjoying it. 

Being a special constable is about engaging and understanding the communities that we serve, working with them and supporting them. It truly is an honour. 

•    We’re currently recruiting specials to help us make a difference, especially in Wolverhampton, Sandwell and Coventry. Visit VERCIDA to find out more.