LOOK AHEAD


or credible for me to try and defend the indefensible, but it is important in my role that I accept the issues we are having and support the officers who are doing the very best they can under a difficult set of circumstances.


The voice of those officers who want to do the job, free from assault and working in a toxic atmosphere, must be the destination and we can all do our part to achieve that goal. I would like to achieve a better understanding and recognition of the work PFEW and local Federation branches do on behalf of its members. We will be conducting a review into policing on behalf of our members to show those who control our pay and conditions exactly what officers need and why the role of the police officer must not be undervalued. It’s been a tough year for many. I hope that, despite the challenges of 2022, there have been some good times that my colleagues of every rank will remember as enjoyable, and be proud of what they have achieved. My election promise still stands and I will continue to do the very best I can to get the very best for you all. Building on PFEW’s initial meeting with the Home Secretary in November, a regular set of meetings would be beneficial, so we can speak openly about the ideas we have to improve policing for the benefit of our


members and the public.


I’ve already mentioned in previous articles about the prospect of a winter of discontent – sadly, it’s on the horizon. I take no pleasure in that, but it seems police officers are the only set of people in the emergency services and wider public sector who cannot take any form of industrial action to improve their terms and conditions. We rely on a pay recommendation body and a Home Office-led remit to impose our settlement. Given the dangers police officers face, the restrictions on our lives, and the fact


is plain to see. Attempts to bring back the 20,000 when we lose approximately 6,000 officers per annum, combined with poor vetting and a lack of experienced officers, who are leaving to find a better job, are all taking their toll on the broken blue line. Morale is low, fatigue is high, and it’s not getting any easier as we head into the biggest cost of living crisis this country has faced.


“The reps and members deserve to have their voices heard by those who can make their lives better”


all officers, new and current, are supposed to be working to a degree-level standard, our terms and conditions are unique and must be reflected accordingly. It should be noted that policing is the option of last resort – police staff deal with many other calls for help and support when others should be taking more of a lead to free up police officers to do police work. We must never return to a boom-and- bust scenario in terms of recruitment. We predicted cuts would have consequences and we were correct. The loss of 20,000 police officers and more than 600 police stations has had a detrimental effect that


My fear over the Police Covenant is that it will simply be an unrealistic measure to hold chief constables to account for their current responsibilities. There must be tangible outcomes that every single police officer and their families can see and benefit from, or it will have failed before it begins. Given the vast array of work involved in policing, officers need


physical and mental health support more than ever. We need resilience and the ability to


say we are broken – and to receive first class help to be able to return to protecting the public. The early signs are good, and we have a


steady influx of special constables joining to be members of their local Federation branch, which in turn means they are part of PFEW. They bring a host of skills and are very welcome support to our regular colleagues who, when working together are making a difference to the public when they call us for help.


PC Patel 13 | POLICE | DECEMBER 2022


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