Gurvinder Khosa, or Gugs as he’s known to friends and colleagues, says he has two pieces of advice for new officers just joining the service: “You will get out what you put into the job. And join the Federation; because it’s not a question of can you afford it – it’s rather a question of can you afford not to?”
Gugs was speaking about his role as Federation representative which he took on last year.
He said: “I became a Fed rep to protect the protectors – to ensure their safety and fair treatment in any kind of legal process.
“I believe I can do this because I bring a number of skills to the role including experience around IOPC investigations. I also have supervisory experience and have formerly supported officers who have been victims of crime or misconduct.”
It was roads policing and collision investigation that first attracted Gugs to policing and that culminated in him working for the Central Motorway Police Group at West Midlands Police where he joined the service in 2007. He joined Staffordshire in 2021 and is currently a custody sergeant.
He said: “As a Fed rep I’m looking forward to working in conduct, advocacy and Post-Incident Procedures (PIP) and I would really like to specialise in those areas. As much as I love my role, it is a challenge balancing my ‘day job’ and home life.”
Gugs added that he thinks the current challenges for the police service generally are retaining officers and representing its diverse communities effectively, particularly at higher rank. He also believes the challenge for the Police Federation generally is attracting student officers to sign up.