‘I’m always here to help’ says Fed rep with sky-high commitment to wellbeing

20 December 2024

Thanks to his unique Force role, West Midlands Police Federation’s Aaron Bell was already used to helping people in some of the most trying moments of their lives before he started volunteering as a workplace representative.

As a sergeant with 22-and-a-half years of experience in policing, Aaron has held positions on response, custody and the crime safety bureau in demanding areas such as Queens Road and Sutton Coldfield, and match days at Aston Villa and Birmingham City football clubs.

Now, he is a senior officer in an airport policing team, leading the Force’s operations at Birmingham Airport.

“I started in this role in 2017 and, I have to say, it’s been one of the best periods of my career,” Aaron said.

“It’s a one-of-a-kind job – it is privately funded but I am the face of the Force at the airport. I’m the first police officer visitors to our country will see, and that comes with a level of trust and respect."

West Midlands Police Federation rep Aaron Bell.

Aaron, 46, says that despite being able to apply a lot of prior police knowledge as he has grown into the role, he has also had to get to grips with the nuances of aviation.

Requirements of the post include responding to aircraft accidents, safeguarding vulnerable passengers and dealing with extra-territorial offences committed by UK residents once they touch back down on English soil.

“Those are just some of the tasks I have,” he added, “Every decision I make has a huge impact – that can be on people’s immediate safety, both on the ground and in the air, and also on people missing their holidays and connecting flights, for example.

“It is a big responsibility that I can never take lightly and one I am proud to hold every day.”

Workplace rep

Along the way in this position, Aaron decided he wanted to not only be an ambassador for the Force, but also an ambassador for his colleagues as a Federation workplace representative.

He stepped into this role five years ago and began helping countless members with work and personal issues.

What he finds most challenging – and also most rewarding – is attending the support meetings of officers who, for whatever reason, are struggling to meet the demands of the Force.

These difficult conversations, he says, have served as an eye-opener to him that not everyone in the police is lucky enough to find the particular role that works for them.

“From my perspective, I want to ensure these meetings are not disciplining officers. Instead, it should be about helping them by understanding why they are currently not able to deliver the level of service they would want to,” Aaron explained.

“It comes with the territory that many of these officers are considering leaving the Force, so what I really like is when I can help to reverse that decision.

“While it’s not always possible, there are thousands of jobs in West Midlands Police, and I often tell these people, ‘let’s find the right one for you.’”

Motivation

Aaron, who has also fought the corner of ethnic minority colleagues as part of the Black and Asian Police Association for more than two decades, revealed he was motivated to become a rep after backing he received from the Federation when he was subjected to a complaint.

Despite the difficulty it caused, this incident is firmly in the past for Aaron – all he holds onto is the support and advice he received from the Fed that made him want to give something back.

Besides, testing interactions with the public are something he has had to grow even more accustomed to in his airport role – an environment few would argue can be rivalled when it comes to high stress.

“They may sound a bit less serious than other responsibilities I have touched on, but another big part of the job is keeping on top of hostile moments,” explained Aaron.

“People can turn into someone else at an airport and end up lashing out – even those who would never usually be involved in a run-in with police. We’ve all been there when trying to catch a flight, but there is obviously a line and it can be overstepped sometimes.

“As well as being that stern presence, I also want to be that friendly face, working with people to get them through the airport as calmly and safely as possible."

Helping hand

Again, this desire of being approachable is something Aaron always aims to replicate in his Federation position.

The sergeant ended by making it clear to members he is always available to lend a helping hand: “As I mentioned, my work as a Fed rep has reminded me how difficult this job can be at times.

“Because we get so caught up in serving the public, I think we can all be guilty of forgetting to look after our own wellbeing.

“It’s important that members know they should never suffer in silence – I may have a busy role in the Force, but I will always have time for them, too,” he said.

READ MORE: Seasonal message from the Federation.