Bradford Hindu Council proudly shares the Superintendent Commendation received by PC Dharmesh Mistry for the work he carried out during the pandemic with the support of the entire community. We hope his story will be a source of inspiration to many of us to join this noble profession. Anyone who wishes to follow his footsteps and join the Police Force , please feel free to contact him directly or on the details given in the attached poster.
Dharmesh has been with the Police Force for nearly 17 years in Bradford, which is one of the busiest and most challenging districts in Yorkshire. He heard that during the challenging COVID-19 situation, many of his colleagues on nightshifts missed their meals and were unable to purchase meals. Added to this, they also had to deal with physical and mental onslaughts from some members of the public.
Seeing the immense public support for the well-deserved NHS heroes, Dharmesh felt that his Police colleagues would also benefit with such support and, therefore, he took it upon himself to initiate a support system.
Contacting the Bradford Hindu Council (BHC), Dharmesh was amazed at their spontaneous positive response to his request for support and many Indian families gladly volunteered to cook meals for the Police Force as an appreciation for all the demanding front line work they do.
Deciding to focus on the 5 Response teams throughout the Bradford and Leeds District which included, Trafalgar House, Lawcroft House, Javelin House, Shipley and Keighley Police Stations and the Pudsey Police Station on their nightshift which included Divisional Control Rooms anf custody suites, Dharmesh oversaw the delivery of nearly over 80 meals per night for about 2 weeks. This food service was later extended to the paramedic and responders from Bradford, Keighley and Skipton stations for about a 10 days of meals. Even the children helped with the meals and also drew pictures for the officers bringing them cheer and a well-deserved boost.
A total of almost 2000 home cooked meals was delivered and, sure enough, this elicited emotional responses and boosted the morale of many officers who were risking their lives for the safety of others.
The Office of Police Crime Commissioner, Mark Burns-Williamson at that time welcomed the timely service and expressed his thanks to the Bradford Hindu community.
