Freddie shows his support for policing and, especially, his Uncle Ben!

31 March 2020

Three-year-old Freddie Pollard showed his appreciation for the efforts of his Uncle Ben and his Force colleagues with this brilliant picture.
 
Freddie drew PC Ben Pollard in his patrol car with the message “Thank you West Midlands Police Force”.
 
The picture was shared with West Midlands Police Federation on Facebook by his mum Tiffany and has since received more than 100 interactions on social media.
 
Ben, who is currently on response at Stechford Police Station, said: “Ever since Freddie was old enough to understand the concept of police, he has found it really cool and exciting.
 
“Seeing me in my uniform and talking about work with my family, he has picked up on things about the job and asked for police toys like Lego police cars and policemen, which he always plays with.
 
“Whenever he sees a police car on a blue light run he always shouts ‘it’s Uncle Ben’, which is adorable. And with most of my family being involved in careers in the public service – my sister, Freddie’s mum, is a district nurse; my eldest brother is a paramedic; my other brother is ex-forces, and my mother is a retired paediatric nurse for 25 years – it has always been something he has showed an interest in and spoken about.
 
“He has always liked drawing. I believe it was a joint effort between my sister wanting to spread a positive message and Freddie just doing what he enjoys that created the nice gesture.”
 
Ben, who has been with the Force for one-and-a-half years, added: “I feel very proud that I play a prominent role in Freddie’s life and to know he is proud of what I do.
 
“He talks about my job all the time at nursery and the fact he finds enjoyment out of it too is nice to see. Knowing he loves it just as much as I do doing the job made me feel great.
 
“It was a great gift and message that won’t be forgotten. I have always wanted to be a role model for my nephew and to know he looks up to me the way he does fills me with pride.”
 
Ben is currently social distancing from Freddie during the ongoing coronavirus crisis.
 
And he encouraged everyone to follow the Government guidelines to help stop the spread of the virus.
 
Ben said: “At times like these when day-to-day life is becoming tougher and it’s difficult to tell how long the tunnel will be before we reach the light at the end of it, community support makes a difference and creating the right image and message for the next generation is only going to make the future brighter.
 
“He is always told by family the police are there to save the day helping to reinforce positive community engagement.”
 
Ben added: “If I can stop myself from seeing his precious face every day while following the rules set by the Government and continue putting myself at risk along with all my colleagues trying to help day to day at work preventing the spread of COVID-19, then I’m sure everyone else can follow the guidelines.”