Jagwant Singh, Vice President | National Sikh Police Association UK (NSPAUK)

Members of the Sikh community have a long and established history of serving in the police across the United Kingdom. Local Sikh police associations had a presence within police forces covering geographical areas with sizable demographic Sikh populations. However, there was a clear need to represent Sikh interests within the wider police service, promote police recruitment and engagement with the wider Sikh community.
Local Sikh associations recognised the clear need to have a united voice and a national body to represent serving Sikh police officers and staff.

This vision came into fruition on the 7th of February 2019 with the launch of the National Sikh Police Association UK (NSAPUK) in Birmingham. Since its' inception, the NSPAUK has branched out across the country and continues to grow through its network of Sikh officers and staff. As an association we value equality, diversity and inclusion and have worked with local Sikh associations and forces to promote equality in the police service and raise awareness of the Sikh faith and ethos. The association has acted as a network of support to our members and has supported the launch of new Sikh police associations. Our relationship extends to the wider Sikh community and the NSPAUK will continue to develop closer working partnerships with members of the community, places of worship and community-based NGO's. The NSPAUK prides itself in being one of the most diverse Sikh organisations within the UK. Our members and executive team reflect Sikhs from a diverse range of backgrounds and at varied degrees of their own personal commitment to the Sikh faith.

Our membership is open to all serving police officers, staff, retirees and volunteers in the UK who aspire to our mission and objectives.
 
Since our creation, the NSPAUK has successfully delivered on a number of workstreams. This includes:
 

• Ongoing welfare support and signposting to Sikh officers and staff.
• Distribution of adapted face coverings for bearded officers and staff to several police forces during the height of the Covid 19 pandemic.
• Advice to police forces on issues creating tension with some of the Sikh community to promote police-community engagement.
• Collaborative work with the Home Office and Government to provide special dispensation for Sikh articles of faith in the recent Offensive Weapons Act 2019.
• Support of the national uplift recruitment programme.
• Bespoke leadership and development sessions to promote progression within the police service.
• Collaborative work with the College of Policing to develop guidance on Sikh articles of faith in the workplace.
• Partnership work with charities to address issues such as domestic abuse and alcohol addiction.
• Contribution to interfaith initiatives and events.
• Work with the NPCC and the Home Office to develop the Sikh Guard hate crime reporting portal for the Sikh community.

 
For more information about the NSPAUK, please visit www.nspauk.org.

Jagwant Singh
Vice President | NSPA UK

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