Ian Tomson-Smith speaks with Owain Richards, Commissioner of Royal Gibraltar Police, about his journey from rural Dyfed-Powys Police and the Metropolitan Police Service to leading policing on the Rock. He reflects on swapping London’s anonymity for a close-knit community where officers literally police their neighbours and bump into victims, offenders and politicians in the supermarket.
Richards also offers a rare inside look at policing in Gibraltar: a three-square-mile territory with an international airport, busy port, tourism, financial services and 15,000 daily frontier workers. He explains the force’s recruitment drive, career opportunities across specialist units, and why he still has the same passion for policing after 30 years in the job.
Interested in recruitment in Gibraltar? Click here to find out more.
This 12-part video series (Sept 2025–Aug 2026) will explore policing across the 14 British Overseas Territories (BOTs), combining operational insight with human stories of resilience, innovation, and community trust. Aimed at a global policing audience, it will inspire professionals to consider unique career opportunities while highlighting the UK’s commitment to ethical, inclusive, and locally adapted policing in some of the world’s most remote and diverse jurisdictions.
Each monthly episode will focus on one territory, featuring:
- Senior officer perspectives on challenges, priorities, and vision
- Frontline accounts from officers and community members
- Cultural and operational context unique to each location
- A strategic theme, such as women in policing, domestic abuse prevention, disaster response, or innovation in isolation
- A takeaway message relevant to policing worldwide
- And a recruitment call to action – we need help and support to keep this amazing service going!
Recurring features – including A Day in the Life, Ask the Commissioner, and Innovation Spotlight – will give a consistent structure while showcasing individual character and creativity across forces.
Themes woven throughout include gender equality, tackling violence against women and girls (VAWG), community trust, cross-cultural policing, and professional opportunities for secondments, post-retirement roles, and career transitions.
At its heart, this is a people-first series: celebrating service, promoting inclusion, and inviting skilled professionals to be part of something meaningful.
Key Takeaways
- Richards brought rural Wales and London Met experience to Gibraltar.
- The move to Commissioner was a big family relocation as well as a career shift.
- Policing is very personal: officers routinely police people they then see in daily life.
- Gibraltar is tiny but complex, with a port, airport, tourism and finance.
- Around 258 officers and 30 staff cover the full spectrum of modern policing.
- The force follows UK-style policing and Peelian “policing by consent” principles.
- New recruits get intensive training, street duties, then confirmation in post.
- Richards still feels as passionate about policing today as he did on day one.
Chapters
00:00 – Welcome & Introductions
00:54 – From Wales & the Met to Gibraltar
03:15 – Taking the Role & Swearing In
04:12 – Culture Shock: Policing a Tight-Knit Community
06:17 – Gibraltar in Numbers: Size, People & Pressures
08:39 – Inside the Royal Gibraltar Police
10:14 – Who Should Apply? Recruitment & Eligibility
13:13 – Standards, Ethics & Passion for the Job
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