POLICING WITH A DIFFERENCE


‘PEOPLE ASK IF WE DANCE NAKED AROUND A FIRE’


In the latest of our Policing with a Diference series, we meet Andy Pardy of the Police Pagan Association.


T


he Police Pagan Association (PPA) has come a long way from its inception in 2008 and the days when


it was routinely ridiculed by the media. Today, the umbrella organisation for


officers and staff with Pagan beliefs not only represents 173 members but also plays a part in providing expert advice to colleagues investigating cold case crimes, people trafficking, and even terrorism. The PPA is led by Hertfordshire Police


Sergeant and Founding Chair Andy Pardy. As one of the first pagan police officers to put his head above the parapet 13 years ago, he endured a gauntlet of hate – including death threats and hate mail addressed to his workplace. One Daily Mail article in 2009 even described him as “the one with the horns on his helmet”. A follower of the Heathenry


movement – other Pagan related strands are Druidism/Druidry, Shamanism, and Wicca – Andy understands the reticence of some colleagues towards Paganism and employs humour to deal with this. He said: “The first question I usually


get asked is about naked people dancing around a fire and whether I do this. Paganism is completely misunderstood by many, and for a great many years particularly within policing. “When we started, we were met with hostility and resistance within the service. Back in the day policing was very institutionalised, and there was a stigma involved for anyone who came out of the


broom closet – as we jokingly say.” Andy and his wife, who have an


altar in their home and another in their garden, worship Norse Gods and follow Heathenry or Heathen Paganism, which means honouring values familiar to police officers such as respect and honour. PPA members are officially permitted


to reallocate existing Bank Holidays to take feast days off work. These include celebrations on the ancient Pagan holiday of Yule between 21 and 23 December at the winter solstice – when the sun is at its greatest distance from the equatorial plane. The PPA was also responsible for the


introduction of a Pagan Oath in UK courts, and nowadays its specialist expertise is much in demand by colleagues. In recent years Andy has helped


produce what he calls “the go-to guide to Pagan Extremism”, a 70-page expert advisory document endorsed by the NPCC and successfully used by forces all over the UK. He’s also helped advise other Pagans about what they should do if they are stopped by police carrying an Athames – the knife used as a focal point for focusing energy in Pagan rituals and celebrations. Andy said: “When we began the


association in 2008/9, I would never have believed we could go from being ridiculed, even within the service, to a point where our advice is highly valued. “In recent years we’ve helped provide


evidence in a cold case murder where specialist knowledge of rituals was


extremely valuable, investigated people trafficking and sexual exploitation involving people of indigenous African heritage threatened with witchcraft, and helped anti-terrorism colleagues by identifying Pagan iconography which was being misappropriated by right wing extremists.” Although he readily recognises there


are still challenges ahead, the PPA Chair is confident the organisation will grow further. “Nowadays, our forces are a lot more


accommodating and, while there are still some pockets of issues, we’ve a good working relationship with the Home Office and are fully accepted as being representative of our officers. There is still a small degree of stigma as we have 11 individuals who are not ‘official’ members because they feel that formally joining us may impact on their career prospects. While we have still to see any of our most senior officers identify as Pagan, I think this is really only matter of time.” Find out more at:


www.policepaganassociation.org Vanya Krystyna


Police Pagan


Association Chair Andy Pardy


35 I POLICE I AUGUST 2021


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