OUR YEAR IN REVIEW


2020 was a year unlike any other in recent memory,


with the pandemic and public protests among the challenges for policing. Steve Bax, Sophie Garrod and Olivia Watkinson review some of the key moments.


JANUARY Police Federation


representatives gathered at Kenilworth for our annual Roads Policing Conference. National Chair John Apter set the tone for the two-day event, speaking about the devastating impact of a decade of cuts to roads policing and declaring that it must be “more than a nice-to-have”. Chief Constable Anthony Bangham, the National Police Chiefs’ Council lead on roads policing added that road fatalities were rising again after an earlier fall. A minute’s silence was held at the event for PC Nick Dumphreys, a Cumbria Police roads officer who had been killed days earlier. Policing budgets received a 6.4 per cent increase to be paid for through the council tax, and Simon Kempton from the Federation’s National Board called for a fresh debate on prohibition of cannabis. He argued that a 16 per cent fall in charges for possession showed that Forces were having to prioritise resources.


FEBRUARY “Police officers have been


treated with contempt with their pay cut by 18 per cent in real terms over the past decade,” PFEW National Chair John Apter declared, as the Federation submitted evidence to the Police Remuneration Review Body (PRRB) for a five per cent pay uplift across all ranks. A report from Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services (HMICFRS) claimed that victims had given up reporting some crimes because they believed the police would not have the capacity to investigate. And a seven-year investigation into five Thames


18 | POLICE | FEBRUARY 2021


Valley officers over the death of Leon Briggs in custody came to an end.


MARCH


Louise Haigh MP, then Shadow Home Secretary, hailed the Police Federation as a “campaigning force for members”. It was at a Westminster reception organised by the Federation, where reps met MPs to build support for current campaigns. Home Secretary Priti Patel was among the attendees and reiterated her support for a police covenant.


Rev Canon David


Wilbraham, the National Police Chaplain received his MBE from the Prince of Wales, and Avon and Somerset Police Federation mourned the loss of detective Nick Matthews, an “old-fashioned thief-taker with an incredible memory” who was among the first of many deaths from Covid-19. As the national lockdown began, John Apter raised concerns on behalf of policing about lack of clarity from Government around how officers could be expected to enforce social distancing.


APRIL


The first full month of the lockdown saw officers respond to the changing reality. Leicestershire Police turned a welfare vehicle into a mobile Covid-19 support unit and


Dorset Fed rep Tim Ward delivered packs of customised personal protective equipment (PPE) across his region. John Apter raised concerns about the growing trend of “vile individuals” coughing and spitting at police officers in order to weaponise the virus. “Those responsible deserve every day they spend in prison,” he said, welcoming automatic jail sentences. The Federation was at the forefront of national discussions on all aspects of the lockdown, PPE and social distancing.


January - John Apter spoke about the devastating impact of a decade of cuts at the Roads Policing Conference


March - Northumbria Chair Jim Gray spoke to Dehenna Davison, MP for Bishop Auckland, at a Westminster reception organised by PFEW.


MAY


With no end in sight to the national crisis, the Federation announced that the Annual Conference would be replaced by a virtual event. John Apter paid tribute to volunteers who dedicated thousands of hours during the pandemic, on National Specials Day. The Duke of Cambridge wrote to the Federation to pay tribute to “the willingness of emergency service personnel to work tirelessly to protect the interests of others”. Tributes were also forthcoming from Government and celebrities. However, crime figures showed an alarming spike in assaults against emergency workers during the pandemic, even as other crime fell.


JUNE The Federation held its first-ever


virtual Annual Conference. The event saw delegates vote to increase subscriptions for the first time in nine years. The death of George Floyd in police custody in the United States triggered global anti-racism protests, including in the UK. John Apter appealed for communities and the police to come together. The Federation also called on Amazon to halt the sale of offensive t-shirts bearing the slogan “Blue Lives Murder”. The Home Secretary personally thanked assaulted officers in a video conference arranged by PFEW.


JULY John Apter joined the Home


Secretary in Sussex to hear how the local Force was tackling domestic abuse during the pandemic. Police officers were given a 2.5 per cent pay uplift,


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