Martin Baines
Former West Yorkshire Police Inspector, currently
a Director of Pacalis Associates Ltd, Dr Martin
Baines, QPM, LLB (Hons), studied Urdu at Bradford
College in 1983.
Martin served with West Yorkshire Police for over 31
years. Throughout this period he worked closely with
communities across the Bradford district originating from
the Indian sub continent. He became the district’s Police
Community and Race Relations Officer in 1996, in the
aftermath of the Manningham disturbances, working
across all communities in Bradford in order to build trust
and confidence between minority ethnic communities
and the Police.
“I studied Urdu at Bradford College in 1983 which was immensely useful in helping me to both communicate and gain an understanding of Bradford’s diverse communities. A skill that on countless occasions has helped me to break down barriers and provide a service to local people at sometimes very difficult moments in their lives”
Martin was responsible for the creation and development
of the Minorities Police Liaison Committee in Bradford,
an independent organisation that includes members
representing spheres of influence from across all the
visible minority communities in Bradford. He is currently
the Chair of the Bradford Hate Crime Alliance. In 2000
Martin was appointed as a member of the independent
review team tasked with looking into the future of race
relations in Bradford led by Lord Herman Ousley.
“Bradford College to me has always been a very friendly
and open place. The thing that has always impressed
me the most is the work the College has done to
support the wider population and district as a whole.
I know from first hand experience that this has often
involved supporting local business, employment and the
regeneration of the city.”
During his police career, Martin project-managed the
partnership link between West Yorkshire Police and
AJK Police in Pakistan. He has travelled extensively in
Pakistan and India, developing links with police forces
and assisting in their strategic development. He has
worked on numerous police related projects in India,
Brazil, Colombia and more recently in a private capacity,
in Bolivia. Martin played a critical role in minimising
community tensions within the Bradford district in the
immediate aftermath of the 7th July 2006 terrorist
bombings in London.
Martin has been the recipient of numerous awards: the
Bradford Millennium Award as the city’s Best Citizen in
2000; the Queens Police Medal in 2003; an honorary
doctorate from the University of Bradford in recognition
of his work in Community and Race Relations in 2005;
a lifetime achievement award by Bradford Council for
Mosques in 2006 and in 2008 he became an Honorary
Lay Canon of Bradford Cathedral. Martin is now a
Director of Pacalis Associates Ltd and continues to be
active in the voluntary sector in the district.
Photgraph supplied by Dr Martin Baines