‘I wanted to help colleagues’

2 June 2021

Zac Mader joined South Wales Police in 1999 and became a Federation workplace representative after six years with the Force.

He is now a Police Federation of England and Wales (PFEW) National Board member and secretary of the Welsh Affairs Sub-Committee (WASC).

He said becoming part of the National Board in 2017 was a career highlight and described representing his peers on the national stage as a privilege, especially when it came to working on diversity within the police service.

“I became a Federation rep because I have a real thing around fairness,” he explained, “I can’t stand bullies or people who abuse their position but I also think that I am a problem-solver. I also wanted to help colleagues.

Zac said the most rewarding aspect of his Police Federation work was being able to make a difference and influence on behalf of colleagues on the national stage for better outcomes.

He acknowledged this was often challenging and said it was not always possible to drive through the changes that could improve colleagues’ day-to-day working lives.

Zac highlights pension changes and the subsequent fall-out and previous governments’ attitudes towards policing as particular low points.

In addition to his National Board and WASC roles, Zac is the PFEW National Police Air Service lead, joint uniform and body armour lead, police networks and association lead, black, Asian and minority ethnic lead, ethics lead, and police dogs and horses lead.

He is an active member of the Federation’s Operations, Wellbeing and Conduct and Performance Sub-Committees and also a trustee of the Flint House police rehabilitation centre.

Looking ahead to his work with WASC, Zac predicted a range of challenges including working in a devolved environment and how that would best serve officers, “Welsh-proofing” documents and policies and pan-Wales issues that affect all PFEW members.