A job like no other: Giles reflects on 30 years in policing

14 January 2021

Giles Dean says police officers are in a unique position to make a difference to people’s lives as he prepares for retirement after almost 30 years in uniform.

Giles, who chairs the West Midlands Police Federation Health and Safety Committee and attended his last Branch Board meeting on Friday (8 January), was speaking as he looked back over a career which began in 1991 when John Major was Prime Minister and (Everything I Do) I Do It For You was Number 1 in the charts.

“This job is like no other,” he said, “The highs are very high, the lows can be very low and on any given day you don’t know what will be in store for you.

“We have unique and privileged insights into people’s lives when they’re at their most vulnerable or exposed. By talking and understanding, we can learn so much about the human condition and use our experiences to help others in the future.

“Given all of the changes that have happened, and all of the moaning and complaining that I have done over the past 30 years would I do it all again?

“In a heartbeat, yes.”

Jon Nott, chair of West Midlands Police Federation, has wished Giles a long and happy retirement.

“I would like to thank Giles for his work as an officer and the way in which he served his communities but I would also like to put on record my thanks for all his efforts in supporting and helping members,” says Jon, “I wish him all the best in his retirement.”
Giles has happy memories of his career and his early days on response, explaining: “Catching the ‘bad guys’ is, and always has been, the fun bit and my first nine years on response were probably still the most chaotic, scary and exciting times of my career. I look back on those days and the team with a great deal of affection.

“I’m very grateful to be coming out of the other end relatively unscathed. Apart from the usual cuts, grazes and bruises, the worst injury I received was a couple of fractured ribs.
“I’ve seen the job damage the physical and mental health of some colleagues over the years and have supported many of these people as a Fed rep.

“It has also damaged a lot of relationships and there’s no doubt that shift work and over-time can very be difficult for some partners to cope with, so many thanks to my wife Lisa for being so understanding.”

Giles said that one of the key achievements of his Federation work was helping to draft a motion from the West Midlands Joint Branch Board, which was delivered in a speech by the then branch chair Tom Cuddeford, to the 2014 national conference that saw all 36 recommendations of the Normington report accepted, marking a pivotal point in the Federation’s history.

But, closer to home, Giles has also put the health and safety of his colleagues at the heart of all that he does. He explained: “I meticulously obtained data on the true level of spitting offences against officers which was used to bolster the Federation’s case for the provision of spit guards.

“Never has the prevention of spitting been more important to protect officers and their families than it is at the moment.

“I chair the Federation’s health and safety committee and have been proud of the work the committee has done throughout the pandemic in visiting stations to check the locations have remained Covid secure, and in supporting colleagues with queries and concerns.

“I must give credit to the Force for being ahead of the curve, acting decisively at the very start and continuing to provide support and guidance to keep staff safe.

“Where there have been issues it has generally been down to individual complacency or the guidelines not being followed.”

Giles has always been based in Sandwell, but has performed a number of roles for West Midlands Police, from response constable, liaison officer and beat officer to custody sergeant, intelligence sergeant and neighbourhood sergeant.

Giles admitted that policing has not been without its challenges, and that not everything had changed for the better.

“The demise of the omnicompetent police officer has been an unfortunate side effect of austerity,” he said.

“The horrific cuts in police numbers and training provision have meant it’s been necessary to implement a production line-style division of labour to try to gain cost effective efficiencies in working practices.”

Giles doesn’t have any firm plans for what he will do after his retirement but admits he would like to do something more creative and in a role in which he doesn’t have to wear a uniform.

A full interview with Giles appeared in the December/January edition of Federation magazine.