Police and Crime Commissioner, Alun Michael, has been honoured by the University of Wales Trinity St David for his outstanding services to political life and public services in Wales.

He was awarded the Honorary Doctorate at the University's Summer graduation ceremony on July 11th alongside 31 police officers who received their degree in policing.

Iestyn Davies, Pro Vice Chancellor at UWTSD, paid tribute to Alun at the ceremony. He commended his commitment to building consensus and partnership throughout his career as an MP, Minister and Police and Crime Commissioner.

On receiving the award Alun Michael said: “My roots are in the Cooperative Strand of Welsh Labour politics, so the thing of which I am most proud in my 50 years of public service is about ‘we’ not ‘I’ - it’s the way we are now working together to make the Justice system in Wales the most efficient, the most effective and the fairest it can possibly be. Tackling racism is the most recent example but we are pursuing many strands of action on early intervention and prevention of harm together.”

Alun reflected on the success of the Swansea Help Point – a collaboration with the University of Wales Trinity St David. He specifically thanked Bronwen Williams, who founded the student volunteers who help to keep vulnerable people safe in the night-time economy. He also paid tribute to the memory of Gerallt Davies, a St John Ambulance paramedic who he described as a ‘St John stalwart’ who sadly became an early victim of Covid and in whose memory the Swansea Help Point is now named.

In his speech, Alun also acknowledged the 31 police officer who received their degrees at the ceremony, saying: “The values of care, mutual support and cooperation in solving problems will be at the heart of the service given by the police officers who receive their degree today.”

Alun’s Background

Alun was the Labour and Co-operative Member of Parliament for Cardiff Couth and Penarth for 25 years, from 1987. During this time, his roles included Minister of State for Policing and Criminal Justice, Secretary of State for Wales and the inaugural First Minister for Wales.

Prior to becoming an MP, Alun was a youth and community worker in Cardiff for 15 years, focusing on projects involving on young offenders and unemployed young people. He also served as a City Councillor from 1973 to 1989, playing a role in planning, redevelopment and economic development.

After leaving Government in 2006, he became a leading member of the Justice Select Committee, playing a principal role in the Committee’s seminal report on “Justice Reinvestment”. Alun was also a leading member of the Welsh Affairs Select Committee, taking part in major inquiries into the changing landscape of policing, the city riots of 2011 and drugs policy nationally and internationally. He also chaired the UK Internet Governance Forum and chaired a number of major All-Party Groups such as the Parliamentary Internet and Information Technology Forum, Corporate Governance, Somaliland and Somalia, and Civil Society and Volunteering as well as being Deputy Chair of the All-Party Group on Policing.

He was a member of the expert delegation to examine gang-related crime, radicalisation and elected police chiefs in Los Angeles in 2001, and was appointed to the joint committee of both the House of Commons and House of Lords on detention of terrorist suspects.

In 2012, he resigned from Parliament and became the first Police and Crime Commissioner for South Wales. Alun is the Lead of the APCC Portfolio Group on Citizens in Policing.