Petr Torak

Petr Torak is a police officer from a Roma background, from the Czech Republic. In 2015, Torak received The Most Excellent Order of British Empire (MBE).[1]

Torak was born on the 8th March,1981 and graduated from the Law Academy in Liberec. In 1999 he sought asylum in the UK, after several racially motivated attacks by groups of skinheads. Initially, Torak worked as a volunteer in a solicitor's office in Southend-on-Sea and after gaining a work permission he started working in fast-food, factories, store security and then, in 2006, he joined Cambridgeshire Police.

Since 2006, Torak works in Peterborough as a police officer and his field of expertise is engagement with Czech / Slovak / Roma migrants. In 2010,together with Jozef Kopecny, he set up a community group COMPAS (Community Partnership Group) and organises activities for the czech and slovak community in Peterborough.[2][3]

In 2013, Torak co-founded a police support network GRTPA (Gypsy Roma Traveller Police Association), which aims to support police personnel from Gypsy, Roma and Traveller backgrounds.[4]

In October 2015, Torak received The Most Excellent Order of the British Emprire (MBE) and became the first Czech Roma with such an award.

References

  1. ↑ "Honorary MBE for Peterborough police officer for services to Roma community". www.peterboroughtoday.co.uk. Retrieved 2016-04-02.
  2. ↑ "UK's first Roma policeman comes to Derby". Derby Telegraph. Retrieved 2016-04-02.
  3. ↑ Romsky Policistapetr Petr Torak" at WebCite zpravy.idnes.cz Accessed 2016-4-1 (Google Translation)
  4. ↑ Campbell, Duncan (2015-07-21). "Gypsy police officers band together to beat prejudice in the force". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2016-04-02.


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