As a child, Slater attempted to be part of Del Boy's gang at school as they used to sit next to each other in class; but he was always a loner, hated amongst his peers and infamous for his deceitful nature. Eventually, out of bitterness for the others' ostracising him, Slater joined the police force at the age of 18 and frequently engaged in unethical activity to try to frame and prosecute not just his old school friends but anyone possible – including his own family, as revealed in "May the Force Be with You".