After securing deserved retirement commemorations as long-standing branch and Group Insurance Scheme members, Ellen and Richie Sellek spoke about their experiences as a couple in policing.
After 33 years with the Force, Ellen Sellek was keen to find a fitting way to mark the end of her policing career.
The South Wales Police Federation launched its retirement plaque at the beginning of 2026, with the commemorative gift available to officers retiring from the start of the year.
Made of authentic Welsh slate, it is something Ellen says she ‘would have liked to have got’ when she retired after 33 years with the Force in mid-2025. However, as a long-serving Federation member and subscriber to the Group Insurance Scheme (GIS), Ellen was able to arrange a self-funded plaque of her own.
Ellen and Richie Sellek hold their retirement plaques
“When I saw the plaque, I was really impressed – I thought it looked like something you would be proud to receive to mark the end of your career,” Ellen said.
“But after reaching out to the Federation, I found out I could arrange a self-funded plaque and didn’t think twice about doing so.
“After giving so much to a job for such a long time, you want to commemorate that in the nicest way possible, which I think the plaque helps to do.”
Ellen joined South Wales Police in September 1992, initially as a Special Constable to get a taste of life as a police officer without the commitment of full-time hours.
Career
But just as she had reached a point where her voluntary service to the Force felt complete, a recruitment drive for regular officers had begun, making the next step in her career a straightforward one.
“I thought I might as well carry on,” she added. “Being a Special was great for me, but at the same time, I felt like I’d done everything I could in the role.
“Three years after I originally started, the recruitment window came at a good time for me, and needless to say, I never really looked back after that.”
After switching to regular duties, Ellen continued to dedicate her early years in the Force to response, working in areas of west Cardiff such as Canton and Grangetown.
By the turn of the millennium, her professional progress meant she was already getting ‘more than enough’ out of policing – before it also gifted her the person she would eventually decide to share her life with.
“I met Rich through my best friend at work, as they were on the same shift together. It was the night before I turned 30, and we hit it off straight away.
“We were engaged within two weeks, got married the following year and had our daughter, Issy, in 2004.
“We were obviously part of the same organisation, but our paths as officers remained different. Sometimes, it felt like we were living separate lives, particularly when it came to sharing childcare responsibilities.
Custody
“But there were plenty of benefits too. Having that person to talk to about work, away from work, was always nice. I wouldn’t change anything we did.”
The now-56-year-old also enjoyed time in custody and investigative work, as well as a brief return to the frontline after the birth of Issy.
She became a temporary detective in 2017, focusing on child protection in a role she described as her proudest.
And when the COVID pandemic hit, Ellen saw an opportunity to move into domestic violence – another career juncture which benefitted from good timing, seeing her through to retirement in June last year.
“My last role was as a risk assessor on a domestic violence team based in Barry. It was a good role to end on, and I look back fondly on every position I held within the Force.
“Reflecting on over three decades in policing is somewhere I never thought I’d be, but I ended up achieving everything I wanted to, and I feel I made a difference.”
After seeing wife Ellen receive her retirement plaque from the Federation, Richie Sellek decided he wanted to follow suit and secure his own lasting career tribute after 27 years as a police officer.
And with no one better to understand the dedication this service requires, his partner-against-crime organised the gift for his 56th birthday in July.
Constable
Now enjoying a fresh chapter in South Wales Police as part of civilian staff, Richie says his new Force duties have not prevented him from separating the two eras and finding time to look back on everything he achieved as a committed constable.
“I think it’s important for me to draw a line between the two, and the plaque fits into that because it signifies that part of my time in the Force is done and is there forever,” he said.
“I saw how nice Ellen’s slate was and I’m happy I’ve now got my own.
“This profession has given me a lot – I have no regrets about devoting so much of my life to it and still doing so to this day. Once it came into my consideration, I knew it was the job for me, and I was all-in straight away.”
Richie’s journey in policing began in April 1998, after a spark of inspiration while he worked at a magistrate’s court in Barry to influence the cases he attended before they reached the justice system.
His service began on response in central Cardiff, but it wasn’t long before he swapped uniform for plain-clothes work on patrols and drug warrants.
“Of course, one of the highlights of my career was meeting the wife. Sharing the same job wasn’t always easy, and there were times it felt like we were ships passing in the night,” Richie continued.
“But the important thing to take out of it is that we wanted a child and we made it work. 25 years later, we’re still together, and I think that’s the biggest testament we could have to the strength of our relationship.”
Curriculum
In a professional sense, Richie says his proudest moment came when he acted as a tutor constable for emerging young officers – a secondary duty which inspired his final pre-retirement role at the Police Learning Centre in Force headquarters.
From 2022 up until he bowed out in July last year, he was an initial police trainer, helping to deliver a curriculum built around the PC entry route into the Force.
“It’s a responsibility I took on later in my career, but I’ve enjoyed it so much, it’s what I have continued doing as staff. Before, I was mainly teaching, and now I’m more behind the scenes, helping to shape curriculum content.
“Being retired as an officer, it means a lot to me that I can now pass on my knowledge and experience to the next generation.
“There’s a lot of it – I’ve also been in counterterrorism, pre-charge investigation, public order and chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear (CBRN) roles, which have all influenced the person I am today.”
Before returning to his long-time employers, Richie enjoyed an extended break from work, involving ‘a lot of travelling’ alongside Ellen – particularly to visit Issy, now 22, in Canada during an academic year abroad as part of her undergraduate degree.
“While I’m doing what I’m doing, Ellen is keeping busy volunteering at ‘Friends for Animals’ Wales – who we both foster dogs from – and contributing to the flower arrangements at Llandaff Cathedral.
Plaque
“We are so proud of the life we have together, and everything we’ve accomplished along the way.
“That’s in no small part thanks to the colleagues we’ve both had around us, including the Federation, so we owe plenty of people a massive thank-you.”
Introduced on 1 January 2026, the South Wales Police Federation retirement plaque is the perfect keepsake to commemorate a career dedicated to policing and public service.
Designed to take pride of place in your home, each plaque is a piece of authentic Welsh slate expertly crafted in partnership with local specialists The Slate House.
The award is presented to police officers and staff who have completed a minimum of 20 years’ service with South Wales Police and have been signed up to the Federation’s Group Insurance Scheme (GIS) for at least five years.
Due to growing interest, plaques can also be purchased by qualifying individuals who retired before this year’s launch date at a reduced cost of £80.
If you are not a member of the GIS, and would like more information on joining, you can visit the GIS section of the Federation website.
And for more information on retirement plaques – whether for yourself or for someone you know of any rank, role or department who is eligible, including those interested in self-funding a plaque – you can contact the Federation office by phone or email.
READ MORE stories like this in our new Federation magazine – out to read online NOW.