Federation

NEWSDecember 2012

In 2012, policing has been testedat every level. From nationaloperations against serious andstrategic threats to the public,down to friendly, visible,approachable and responsivepolicing in local neighbourhoodsacross the country, we have beencalled upon as never before.Yet crime continues to fall, while

public confidence in policing isrising. A safe, secure andunforgettable London 2012Games was delivered: one of thegreatest security challenges inliving memory. 2012 saw theelection of Police and CrimeCommissioners, the end of theNational Policing ImprovementAgency, the creation of the

College of Policing, and theimminent arrival of the NationalCrime Agency. We continue to deal with nine

million calls for help each year.Those calls can require men andwomen within the service to walktowards danger while others walkaway and tragically, some end indisaster. In 2012, one such routinecall led to the deaths of ourcolleagues PCs Fiona Bone andNicola Hughes of GreaterManchester Police, a terrible eventwhich reminded the public of thesacrifices police officers make. Wewill never forget them and otherswho paid the ultimate price ofprotecting the public. Harsh financial conditions have

and continue to require policeforces to make difficult and painfuldecisions. The morale of thoseworking within the service can beput to the test, but what cannot bequestioned is their commitment tothe public. Above all policing’srecord of success in 2012 is atestament to the dedication,professionalism and integrity ofpolice officers and staff in everyforce across the UK. We wish you, your families and

loved ones a safe and happyChristmas and a peaceful NewYear.

Paul McKeever, Derek Barnett,Sir Hugh Orde

2012 Joint Christmas message to the police service from the PoliceFederation, Superintendents Association and ACPO

www.polfed.org

Representing all ranks in theservice will be the priority for JuliaLawrence, who was voted as theFederation’s nominee for thegoverning board of the College ofPolicing.

Ms Lawrence will represent theviews of officers in key subjectareas; her appointment awaitsrubber-stamping by the HomeSecretary Theresa May. She said:“I feel very proud to be nominatedfor the post and although I know

there will be difficult times ahead Iknow my experience in theseareas will stand me in good stead.It is important all ranks arerepresented and I will do myutmost to ensure all voices areheard.”The sergeants’ national reserve

seat representative has extensiveexperience in professionaldevelopment. In her home force ofDerbyshire she was a policetrainer, training developmentofficer, NVQ assessor and verifier.She now sits on the Federation’sJoint Central Committee’s

professional development, equalityand operational policing sub-committee, and feels she has “agood idea of the issues that impacton officers on the ground”.

Ms Lawrence also sits on thePolice Promotion ExaminationBoard, the Central Authority boardand the PAB national recruitmentstandards and restricted officersworking groups on behalf of theFederation.

Federation vote on nominee to represent all officers at the new College of Policing

“difficult times ahead ”“ensure all voices are

heard ”

All police officers who contributedto keeping the country safe duringthe Olympic and Paralympicgames will receive acommemorative coin, the PrimeMinister announced in August.

The coins, which will also begiven to armed forces anduniformed services, will be a smalltoken of the country’s ‘enormousgratitude’ in thanking them formaking the games possible, thePrime Minister said. Following discussions with

ACPO and the National OlympicCoordination Centre, the HomeSecretary decided to award thecoins to the police serviceincluding police officers, special

constables, PCSOs and theMetropolitan Police torch relayteam.

John Coppen, deputy secretaryof the Sergeants CentralCommittee, said: “It is fantasticthat the police service has beenrecognised for its hard work anddedication in keeping the countrysafe whilst policing the Olympicand Paralympic games and Iwould like to say congratulationsto all our colleagues who willreceive the commemorativemedallion. “Although our recommendation

to award all police officers whowere serving at the time of the

Olympics was declined by theHome Secretary, I would like toensure that anyone who didn’treceive a medallion and feels theyshould have to contact me as soonas possible.” The medallions are due to be

produced and distributed to allmembers of the police service andarmed forces before Christmas. To contact John Coppen please email john.coppen@polfed.org

Police officers awarded a medallion for their contribution to the Olympics

PFEW seeks legal advice on officers working 25 hours a day in custodysuitesThe Police Federation and policeforces around the country havesought legal advice in relation topolice officers who work 25 hoursa day in custody suites. A suitable handover is needed

for police officers who are workingwithin the custody suite and thepresent situation declares that the25 hour day is unlawful under thecurrent regulations. Officers who are currently

working nights into the early hoursof the morning are finding it aproblem as the start time of theworking day is fixed by the ChiefConstable.

Certain police forces have told

custody sergeants that they mustvolunteer to work outside of thecurrent regulations however theFederation does not advise this.

Kevin Huish, chair of thelegislation sub-committee, said:“We believe there is a viableoption within the regulations fortwo shift patterns to be able tooperate alongside each other withdifferent start times to the workingday. “This could be from one officer

starting at 6am and the other at7am, however, officers cannot beswapped from one shift pattern tothe other, they must stay on thesame start time.”

ACPO was invited by the HomeOffice in July to bring proposalsforward to change the regulationsin order to make the 25 hour daylegal but they are yet to do so.Mr Huish added: “We recognisethe importance of full, proper andeffective handovers and welcomeentering into discussions withACPO to introduce an agreedchange of regulations that willwork for all concerned.”

“officers cannot beswapped ”

“enormous gratitude ”

“ congratulations to allour colleagues”

“proper and effectivehandovers ”

The current PACE codes of practiceare not being ‘taken seriously’ bysome police forces within Englandand Wales, the chair of thelegislation sub-committee has said.

The sub-committee found thatone particular force’s ChiefInspector was specifically directingcustody sergeants to breach thecodes every time someone wasbeing booked in. This information was highlighted

after a question was raised toProfessor Zander at the recentNational Custody Seminar inSeptember. Chair of the legislation sub-

committee, Kevin Huish, said:“Although these codes are notprimary legislation they do have to

be approved by the Houses ofParliament and therefore must betaken seriously and adhered to byevery police force.“The codes are also brought into

effect by statutory instrumentswhich put them and any breach ofthe codes on a very serious footingand can result in cases beingthrown out or lost at court. “We have to ask ourselves if

ordering police officers to

deliberately breach these codescould be a misconduct offence.”Read more about this issue in

January’s edition of Policemagazine or read an articlewritten by Professor Zander inCriminal Law & Justice Weekly.

PACE Codes of Practice not being ‘taken seriously’ by some police forces

“not being taken seriously ”

“ could be a misconductoffence ”

Police officers around the countryneed to be more aware of theACPO and NPIA guidance indealing with people who havemental health issues, the legislationsub-committee said.A question, featured on the

Police Federation’s app, recentlyasked its members ‘as an officer,are you aware of the ACPO andNPIA guidance on dealing withpeople with mental ill healthissues?’

The response showed that 82%of the 2,768 respondents were notaware of either the guidance ortraining that is currently beingprovided.

Anecdotal evidence showed thatless than 50% of forces hadimplemented the mental healthawareness training, launched in2010, with very few officers beingmade aware of the ACPO, NPIAand the Department of Healthguidance that was launched at thesame time. There are only twochapters in the guidance relevantto operational policing and theseneed to be provided in a separateguide for officers.

Kevin Huish, chair of thelegislation sub-committee, said:

“As police officers we come incontact with a huge number ofpeople who are suffering withmental ill health and the guidanceand training officers receive toassist with that is not great. “The information from the app

is now being used by researchersto evidence the need for anddrive the implementation ofappropriate and effective mentalhealth awareness training forpolice officers.”The information will also be

used by the ACPO lead ChiefConstable Simon Cole who is setto push for standaloneoperational guidance for officers.Mr Cole has asked for the PoliceFederation’s help in addressingthis.

Police officers to be made more aware of guidance surrounding mentalhealth

“ Training is not great ” “appropriate and effective mental healthawareness training ”

The equality sub-committee hasreceived a variety of emails frompolice officers all over the countrywho have raised concerns inrelation to flexi-working.A number of negative case

studies have been passed to thechair of the sub-committee wherethe majority have been negative. One officer expressed how

having the roster refused each timehad caused ‘considerable stressand disappointment with seniormanagement’ while anotherexplained how all ten applicationsfor flexi-working were refused bytheir sergeant and inspector.

Speaking after the meetingJayne Willetts, chair of the equalitysub-committee, said: “It is alarmingthat police forces across the countyare making it very difficult for apolice officer with caringresponsibilities to request flexible

working and also to beaccommodating. “From the evidence that has

been submitted it clearly showsthat in some instances officers arebeing treated unfairly and theforces could face a challengethrough an employment tribunal.”Police officers who have families

are particularly finding it difficultwith one officer contacting theirHR department for advice andbeing told to ‘consider the needsof the organisation’ and that it‘wasn’t their fault’ the officer had ababy.

Ms Willetts, added: “Officerswho request flexible working dotry and balance what theorganisational needs are as wellas their own family needs eventhough the balance of being acarer and a police officer isdifficult to manage.“We are in 2012 going into

2013 yet it seems we are headingback to the 1970s again withcarers and women having to leavethe police as they have chosen tohave a family. This is leavingofficers feeling that they have nochoice but to consider if they havea future as a police officer at all.”Work with the individual officers

will be on going in the up andcoming months to work JBBs toimprove and assist the hurdles stillfaced by officers requestingflexible working. The equality sub-committee

would like to encourage policeofficers to submit examples toJayne.willetts@polfed.org

Update in relation to flexible working

“heading back to the1970s ”

“officers being treated unfairly ”

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