Proud to be — Inti’s story

Inti, PC Authorised Firearms Officer with the Ministry of Defence Police (MDP), shares his ‘proud to be’ story this Black History Month.

When I joined the Police service, I was encouraged by my Father, a Pakistani immigrant who had settled and raised his family in England, to join the police service. When I did join up, my father made sure to tell anyone that would listen what I did for a career!

Within my family they have always been extremely proud of my career choice. However, in the wider community a lot of people were sceptical.

The main questions I was asked were, are the police not racist and do you not get treated differently? This was not long after the Macpherson Report, so legitimate questions.

Being a Police officer was also, and still is, not really seen as the go-to option for sub-continent Asian families. However, since I have joined, I have been able to bring in first-hand experience, to be able to help inform and educate people on what a career with the police service offers.

Over the years, I have assisted several family friends and even friends of friends to take their first steps in a policing career path. I think my biggest success in that respect, relates to a family friend who was a bus driver. I had several conversations with him over a short period of time, giving advice and insight on working in policing.

He went on to join and is now currently a Chief Inspector with a Home Office force. In my MDP career, I’ve been very fortunate to be based at HM Naval Base Portsmouth, where I have had the privilege of working with a fantastic team and great management.

One of my greatest achievements has been becoming a Police Search Adviser, having qualified in 2018 after being a Licensed Search Officer for several years. This was one of the toughest courses I have ever done, and it took all my energy and effort to get through it. I was very grateful to my Superintendent at the time, who provided support, encouragement, and some very wise words to spur me on.

I am proud to work in policing and for the MOD, as an Authorised Firearms Officer with the Ministry of Defence Police.

More information

Visit www.mod.police.uk to find out more about a career with the Ministry of Defence Police.