Page 2 - BedFed Dec2018 Flipbook

Contents
Chair’s introduction 2 Federation seeks judicial review in
pay row 3 Pension shortfall could bring new
funding crisis 3
Assaults act: ‘a welcome new weapon in the fight against
attacks on officers’ 4
Bedfordshire PC featured in
assaults campaign 5
Detectives honoured 6 Emma challenges IOPC over
drawn out cases 7 Force news round-up 9
Federation reps honour fallen officers at memorial service 10
Get to know your workplace representatives 12
Review of the year 16 Did you know? New campaign
highlights officers’ entitlements 19
CONTACT YOUR FEDERATION
Tel: 01234 842406
Email: Bedfordshire@polfed.org Web: www.beds.polfed.org
Bedfed is published by Bedfordshire Police Federation, 217 Bedford Road, Kempston, Bedfordshire MK42 8DA.
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2
Chair’s introduction
Force needs - and
deserves - better
funding settlement
By Jim Mallen
Chair of Bedfordshire Police Federation
I think as the Christmas and New Year period approaches it’s quite natural to look back on all that has happened in the year, both good and bad.
In policing, it can be difficult sometimes to find the good. But, let’s face it, day in and day out, police officers – despite the challenges of their role, and despite the fact that those challenges are even tougher when, due to funding cuts, they are run ragged trying to match reduced resources with increased demand – are doing a good job. We are the catch-all service, the one everyone turns to in their time of need.
Yes, there are times when we don’t get it right; we are human after all and it is right and proper that officers are dealt with when that is proven to be the case. But in the vast majority of cases, we do get it right. We go the extra mile to help. We put our lives on the line to do our duty, to serve our communities, fighting and preventing crime, keeping order and protecting the vulnerable.
But we also go beyond the call of duty and in the last year we have heard endless heart-warming stories involving officers who have done just that, for example, they have delivered babies, shared chips with a hungry suspected illegal immigrant and bought clothes for a vulnerable elderly man.
The good is definitely there and within that I welcome the £4.51 million extra that has been given to the Force to help with its unprecedented spend on tackling serious gang violence.
This funding uplift has been achieved through a Policing Special Grant bid made in response to the fact that last year we had the fourth highest recording of knife crime in the country despite us being one of the smallest forces.
Of course, we are grateful for this £4.51m. However, it only replaces what we have already spent.
Our Police and Crime Commissioner, Kathryn Holloway, and Chief Constable Jon Boutcher, together with the Police Federation, have highlighted the
shortcomings in the way Government funds policing. The current formula is not fit for purpose but the Home Office is prevaricating.
Bedfordshire Police have fully evidenced that it needs £10 million more on top of its budget to provide for the 300 extra officers we need to do the job we all joined to do
– serving and protecting our communities, fighting and preventing crime and protecting the vulnerable.
But, even if we did secure another £10 million, that increase would only allow us to keep up with current demand.
We are not alone in suffering a lack of funding but we are definitely suffering more than many others.
The Government has failed, after years of austerity, to re-invest in policing and, while the new Home Secretary Sajid Javid, made all the right noises at our annual national conference in May, claiming that he ‘got it’, we are yet to see him put his money where his mouth is. That failure to inject cash into the police service has meant forces have struggled to maintain the effective response our communities deserve.
Next month Chancellor of the Exchequer Philip Hammond announces the 2019/20 settlement for forces and let us hope Bedfordshire Police are at the forefront of his thoughts.
Moving on from funding and coupled with the day to day strains of their job, this year also saw officers given another kick in the teeth when the Government once again failed to honour the recommendations of the Police Remuneration Review Body, the independent body it set up to advise on police pay. I don’t think anyone becomes a police officer to get rich but I think we all have an inherent sense of fair play and therefore we are definitely crying foul over the Government’s actions. (See Page 3 for more details).
While clearly, I have set a somewhat sombre tone in raising concerns about police funding and pay, as we approach the festive season I would just like to give a special mention to all of you who will be working shifts over Christmas and the New Year.
I hope that you still manage to enjoy some time with your families and friends over the holiday period but, above all, please look after each other and stay safe.All that remains is for me to wish you all a very merry Christmas and a happy New Year.