Officer of the year speaks of his passion for policing after 22 years in the job

5 December 2025

A North Wales Police Federation member says he was ‘blown away’ after receiving a prestigious award for doing the job he loves.

PC Gareth ‘Gaz’ Roberts said the magic of policing is 'its unpredictability' after he was named North Wales Police officer of the year.

He said: “I love the fact that one moment you can be doing something mundane, and the next minute you’re chasing people and helping people.

“No two days are the same, and that’s exactly what drew me to this job.”

 

Caption (L-R): PC Dave Evans, Wrexham AFC owner Rob McElhenney,
PC Gaz Roberts, Wrexham AFC owner Ryan Reynolds, Chief Superintendent
Owain Llewelyn, PC Rich Priamo

 

It’s a long way from Gaz’s early career in IT.

After leaving Bangor University with a degree in computer engineering, Gaz worked as an IT manager, but soon realised it was not right for him.

“I was tied to a desk in front of a screen all day,” he said. “I wanted to be out and about, doing something different, something that mattered.”

In 2003, he made the leap to policing and more than two decades later, he hasn’t looked back.

Gaz spent 16 years as a response officer, a job he still describes as ‘one of the hardest in policing but hugely rewarding'.

He worked briefly as an acting sergeant before deciding his heart was firmly in frontline policing.

Proactive

From response, he moved into neighbourhood policing in Wrexham, where he has helped shape proactive crime work across the city.

Alongside James Duffy, who is now a Sergeant, he helped form a crime car tackling priority crime in the city centre.

They recorded major results, including taking out three county lines operations in collaboration with Merseyside Police.

Gaz is currently the community beat manager for Rhosddu and Acton, working closely with the local council and partner agencies on problem-solving and community safety.

And he also holds several specialist roles.

The first is as a public order and public safety advisor, working with public order commanders at large-scale events.

The second is as a CBRN tactical advisor, one of a number of officers trained to respond to chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear incidents, and also providing advice to commanders.

Critcial incidents

“I do like a good course,” he joked. “But really, these roles just help make sure big events and critical incidents are safe and run properly.”

His event work has included the Tour of Britain cycling race, the Kings of Leon concert, major football fixtures, the G7 conference in Merseyside, and even a royal visit by the King.

Now his willingness to go above and beyond his daily duties has been recognised with the award of the Force’s officer of the year.

Gaz was honoured during a ceremony at St Asaph Cathedral.

“To be fair, I was blown away,” he said. “I wasn’t expecting anything like this. I love what I do and that’s enough for me.”

He learned of the award a little while before the ceremony.

Ceremony

“I got an email from the Chief Constable’s Office while I was at home,” said Gaz, who has also previously received two Chief Superintendent’s Commendations.

“I read it and just thought ‘wow’. I was really surprised.”

Gaz also praised the neighbourhood team in Wrexham that he is part of.

“The team is fantastic,” he said, adding: “Everyone supports each other.

“Our sergeants run the team really well. Everyone has their strengths and their roles, and we all pull together.”

After more than 20 years in policing, his enthusiasm and passion for serving have not dimmed.

Gaz ended: “I still love policing. It’s fun, you get to work with brilliant people, and it makes a difference. I can’t imagine doing anything else.”

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