Home Secretary Javid is brother’s new boss
TOP MIDLAND POLICEMAN HAS MINISTER ON SPEED DIAL...
THE brother of new Home Secretary Sajid Javid is a Gulf War veteran and the most senior Muslim police officer in the West Midlands force.
It means the Bromsgrove MP and cabinet minister is the ultimate boss of his brother Chief Superintendent Bas Javid as he has responsibility for national policing policy and funding.
Chief Supt Javid is well known in communities across Birmingham and West Midlands as a high-profile police officer and is currently commander of Solihull Police division.
Like brother Sajid, who this week became the first ethnic minority politician to be appointed to one of the great offices of state, Chief Supt Javid has also broken new ground.
He is the highest ranking Muslim officer in the West Midlands force and a huge advocate for increasing the proportion of black and minority ethnic (BAME) officers, particularly at the higher ranks.
They are the sons of Pakistani immigrants who came to the UK during the 1960s and grew up in Bristol. Their father was a bus driver.
Chief Supt Javid left school at 16 and enrolled in the Royal Navy, in 1988 serving six years during which he spent most of his time on HMS Brilliant – including patrolling the Persian Gulf during the 1991 war for which he received a commendation for teamwork and bravery.
From there he joined Somerset Police, where he served for 13 years, including covering his home city of Bristol, before moving to the West Midlands as a Detective Chief Inspector in 2007.
He has risen to the rank of Chief Superintendent and was last year won a British Muslim Award in the uniformed services category.
Interviewed by Asian World at the time he spoke about his service.
He said: “You are put in very difficult situations because, frankly, I have been in hospital more times than I want you to know from being assaulted on duty or in a car accident and it is not pleasant. It certainly takes its toll on your family life.
“T h a t ’s part of the job though. Every day we put ourselves at risk. You know tomorrow and over the weekend I will be managing various incidents that I know could put me and my officers in danger, but that’s what you sign up for, all officers train well to do it and I suppose the more you do it the better you will become.” But Chief Supt Javid has also campaigned and encouraged more Muslims and people of ethnic minority backgrounds to join the force, saying that despite progress in the past 25 years, there are still not enough to truly reflect the Midlands. He said: “I’m the only Muslim officer in the Midlands above the rank of inspector, so whilst there is a level of pride in that there is also a concern that we need to have more Muslim officers in the ranks. We certainly have people who fit the right skills and experience but for one reason or another I’m getting pro- moted above that rank of inspector and I’m trying to encourage change that and I recognise the talent and then I will promote that talent.”
The fierce but friendly rivalry between him and his brother Sajid has been previously reported. In 2016 Sajid referred to his brother’s naval and police service during a speech to Birmingham’s Asian Business Chamber.
He added: “Bas, I have to tell you, mum still thinks I’m the successful one. It’s not because I’m in the Cabinet or a Privy Councillor or anything like that.
“It’s because, when I was Secretary of State for Culture, I got my photo taken with Deirdre from Coronation Street.
“That’s something she can really boast about to her friends.”
I’m the only Muslim officer in the Midlands above the rank of inspector Chief Supt Bas Javid