UNDER PRESSURE
Catch 2022?
PFEW National Vice-Chair Ché Donald looks at the year ahead as we continue to fight for fairness
After a tough 2021, 2022 looks to be another challenging year for police officers. We have seen the increasing demands, felt growing pressures across policing and faced greater threats on the street. Regrettably, we have experienced first-hand the outrage when politicians tell us they appreciate us and understand the difficulties and dangers – then freeze pay, meddle with pensions and generate more bureaucracy.
But we know our household budgets will be squeezed – gas and electricity bills will rise, as will fuel and food prices. In just a matter of weeks, we will release our pay and morale survey results. The government cannot hide from this evidence, and chief officers cannot ignore it. You pull no punches, you are physically and mentally broken, struggling to give the level of service you want to – run ragged, demoralised. The results show the stress and strain the
job places on you and your families. And while 20,000 additional police officers are welcomed, it is not a miracle cure. It merely takes us back to the number of officers we had since the 2010 cutbacks. Last year, we withdrew from the Police Remuneration Review Board, which makes police pay recommendations to government. We believe that a fairer, transparent, genuinely independent system must replace it – and a system that binds the hands of government who must honour independent pay award recommendations. As part of our pay campaign, together with colleagues from local Federation branch boards, we are lobbying government to recognise in law the fact
that, in the absence of industrial rights, police officers are fairly rewarded. We will not shy away from legal action in our fight for fair pay. Pension uncertainty is an
voices are heard and your views taken on board”
“I want to ensure your
unnecessary burden for all officers because of the mess created by successive governments. This has pitted officers against officers, the Federation against some members, culminating in legal actions and anger. There is no certainty as April 2022 approaches, but we are committed to representing the interests of all members through all avenues. We are seeing positive steps to better identify officers suffering from mental health conditions, including feeling
suicidal. But there is still more to do. This year, the Police Covenant will be on the statute books when the Police, Crime, Courts and Sentencing Bill is passed. It’s a great idea, but if you don’t see and feel a tangible difference to the support you get if you’re suffering physically or psychologically, it will be a wasted opportunity. Last month, I was with Greater
Manchester Police colleagues. They told me about the burden of increased paperwork completing full disclosure files as part of the CPS guidance on charging – a message I hear across other forces too. The Police Federation National Detectives’ Forum has done excellent work via our Research Department to identify the scale of the problem. We are directly feeding into a review being conducted by the Attorney- General’s office and expect sensible changes in the coming months. Through our ‘Time Limits’ campaign, we will keep pushing for a 12-month time limit
Ché Donald
for disciplinary proceedings. But we now face another issue. Last year, the National Association of Legally Qualified Chairs (NALQC) advised its members, the LQCs who chair misconduct hearings, not to take on further hearings until the government introduces legislation protecting them. The absence of LQCs could see chief officers filling the gap. This retrograde step would remove valuable independence, slow the process down and increase officers’ stress. This is totally unacceptable. Government must resolve the matter urgently. Last year ended with media reports suggesting the police service is institutionally racist and claims that some officers are misogynistic. We cannot hide from these concerns; they are real with real consequences. We need to discuss these openly and honestly and deal with them head-on; everyone in policing needs to work together to address these concerns. We cannot be afraid to stand up and say, I am not a racist and I am not a misogynist, because reading some media reports, you’d be forgiven for thinking otherwise. 2022 will be challenging year, but it need not be a Catch-22 situation – we can move forward. You know what works and what doesn’t work. I want to ensure your voice is heard and your views are taken on board and represented. You make the Police Federation the body it is, the undisputable voice of policing. It’s on your behalf that, together with my Federation colleagues across England Wales, we will continue the fight for fairness.
13 | POLICE | FEBRUARY 2022
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