South Wales Police: First black officer Derrick Hassan dies

The first black officer to serve in Wales' biggest police force has died at the age of 75 after a long illness.

Derrick Hassan joined South Wales Police in 1972 and later became a detective in CID.

He also became a leading figure in the Black Police Association (BPA) in the area, and encouraged other people from minority groups to become officers.

His widow Ceri said he led the way for other people from minorities who wanted to join the police.

"He was a great mentor and he enjoyed helping them and advising them and when the BPA was launched there were lots of new members who came on board," she said.

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"I think they looked to Derrick as the senior of the group, the first one, the one to go to for advice."

Ceri Hassan, pictured with the couple's children Andy and Aimee, says Derrick was always available to advise others from minority groups

"There were a lot of black people who didn't want to come forward," Ceri added. But whenever he ever spoke to anybody he would always encourage them to go ahead and do it and he would always be there for advice and to talk it out."

'It took a lot of courage'

PC Bharat Narbad, the co-chairman of the BPA agreed, telling BBC Radio Wales Breakfast Derrick was a "mentor" and a "lovely bloke".

"For him to join in the 1970s was a big step. It took a lot of courage," he said.

"I know growing up as a child he was the only black child in a school of 600 people, so he sort of faced this through his life.

"I thought to myself 'If Derrick did it in 1972 surely I can do it in 1998'."

Derrick Hassan with his children at the European summit in Cardiff in 1998

Derrick began life in the Merchant Navy as a teenager in 1964. After four years at sea he returned home to Cardiff taking on a carpentry apprenticeship.

His father Moses, a leading member of the Somali community in Cardiff docklands, was instrumental in Derrick's decision to join the force.

'A lot of abuse'

He was on a committee with officers who asked if one of his three sons would consider becoming the first black officer in South Wales Police. Derrick, the eldest of the three, agreed.

His wife said he told her the early days in uniform were not easy.

"I think in the beginning it was very difficult for him. There was a lot of abuse, but I think he just let it go over his head and dealt with it... and it takes a strong person to do that, but yes it was hard in the early days," he said.

"He met with a lot of resistance. There was no protection, there was no one you could go to with your troubles and there was a lot of mickey-taking.

"But he was a strong personality and he dealt with it all really well and became really popular."

She said he recalled people being surprised to see a black man in a police uniform.

After working the beat first in the Splott area of Cardiff Derrick became a detective with CID based in Rumney in the east of the city. His wife said he was firm but fair, even allowing one man to finish his pint before he arrested him.

"When I met him he was well settled into the job, he was absolutely loving it and he wouldn't have changed anything for the world, it was all experience to him and he didn't want to retire after his 30 years, he would have stayed on."

Fifty years after Derrick became the first black officer in 1972, South Wales Police and Crime Commissioner Alun Michael admitted more still needed to be done to encourage more black and minority ethnic people to join the force.

In their Joint Equality Plan, the force and the commissioner placed a strong emphasis on the importance of improving the recruitment, retention and progression of black and minority ethnic people.

"We continue to prioritise race and gender due to the large gaps that exist to truly reflect our population," said Mr Michael.

"We are particularly under-represented by minority ethnic officers at senior ranks and by women and ethnic minorities in some specialist departments.

"We recognise the need to address this through positive action mechanisms and through continually assessing the impact of our recruitment and progression policies and procedures on under-represented groups."

Mrs Hassan said his advice to young people thinking of joining the police would be simple.

"I think he would say you've got to give it a try. 'I was totally on my own out there,' he used to say to me, 'I had to stick up for myself', but now there's all sorts of advice and help and he would thoroughly enjoy talking to people about his experiences and encouraging them to do the same as he did."

Derrick Hassan's funeral will be held in Cardiff on Wednesday.

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