Page 8 - Bedfed Sept2016 Flipbook

One per cent pay rise
Tribute to John
Federation officials joined the family of Bedfordshire PC 228 John Simmonds, his close friends and colleagues from the APu to lay flowers on his grave to mark the 10th anniversary of his death.
John, affectionately known as ‘Simmo’, died at the age of 27 in a crash involving his motorbike as he travelled home from a shift in Luton on 5 August 2006.
Simmo was a firearms officer on the South Hub and was a very popular officer and a dear friend to many, with an infectious smile and bubbly personality. Federation secretary Emma Carter said: “I always remember Simmo with a smile; I never knew him to not to be laughing, he was a great officer and was very highly thought of.
“We wanted to show the family that John was not forgotten and would always be remembered by his policing family.
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Police officers have been awarded a one per cent pay rise. But the decision has been met with anger and disappointment by the Police Federation of England and Wales which had submitted detailed evidence to support its claim for a 2.8 per cent pay rise.
The Police Remuneration Review Body (PRRB) announced in July that it had rejected this element of the Police Federation submission.
The PRRB decided, in line with the Federation’s evidence, that the pay increase should be consolidated, dismissing chief officers’ views that it should be non- consolidated, which would have meant the increase would not have been pensionable.
It also agreed public holiday pay should not be reduced and away from home overnight allowance should be retained.
Steve White, national chairman of the Police Federation of England and Wales, said: “The PRRB clearly hasn’t listened to the reasons why we called for a 2.8 per cent increase on pay, however, it agrees with us on almost every other point we put forward.
“The Home Office and Treasury acknowledge that the uK economy grew by 2.9 per cent in 2014, yet the Government still expects hard-working police officers to further tighten their belts. This will further impact on the low morale among police officers who have told us and the PRRB that they already feel over-worked, under-valued and unappreciated.
“The Government talks of austerity measures, but they clearly apply to some more than others. The bitter irony won’t be lost on officers that all public sector pay review bodies have had their hands effectively tied to fit the Government’s fiscal agenda and rhetoric of cuts, while MPs themselves enjoyed a pay increase of 10 per cent.”
He said police officers perform a vital, extraordinary and unique function in society, explaining: “We run towards danger and threats when others can walk away; we are the emergency service of last resort that people come to when they have nowhere else and no-one else to turn to. Therefore, a one per cent pay increase will feel like a kick in the teeth for the 122,000 dedicated, professional and committed police officers who put the lives and welfare of those we serve ahead of their own.”
Taser – Fed
concern over
low sign-up
Officer safety could be put at risk because many are unwilling to put themselves forward for Taser training, the secretary of Bedfordshire Police Federation has warned.
Emma Carter has expressed concerns that few officers have signed up for training despite the Force agreeing to roll-out Taser and fund the necessary courses.
“I think there is a perception that officers will not be supported by the Force if there is an incident involving the discharge of Taser and there is also the fear, in these circumstances, that they could be the subject of trial by media,” says Emma.
“While I can understand these concerns, there is a real risk that, as single-crewing continues, officers are not going to be equipped – or trained – to protect themselves and if they can’t do that, how can they protect the public?
“I believe that Taser is an important piece of equipment in modern day policing and that it can also serve as a deterrent to some people who might be intent on assaulting an officer or engaging in some other type of attack.”
The Federation would like to hear from any officer who is concerned about volunteering for Taser training.
Force slightly below
national average on
fitness tests
Just two per cent of officers have failed their fitness test, according to figures released by the College of Policing.
The latest statistics show an average pass rate of 98 per cent based on a total of 93,956 tests carried out between September 2014 and August 2015.
In Bedfordshire pass rates were slightly lower at 96.3 per cent (1,027 out of 1,066).
Jim Mallen, chairman of Bedfordshire Police Federation, says: “These figures show that the vast majority of police officers are physically fit to perform their duties and serve the public.”
While compulsory fitness testing was introduced nationwide in 2014, the job-related fitness test has been used in Bedfordshire from about five years earlier. Robust processes are in place – including
training or referral to the occupational health unit for a bespoke test if appropriate – to help officers meet the standards required to pass.
Nevertheless, Jim expressed concern after the national figures revealed women and older officers were more likely to fail the test and said there must be fairness and equality in the fitness tests.
Nationally, the pass rate for the 67,376 tests on male officers reached 99 per cent, while female officers (23,154 tests) achieved a 95 per cent pass rate.
The City of London Police came top with a 100 per cent record followed by South Wales (99.6 per cent , Dyfed-Powys, Hampshire and Surrey were just slightly below that with 99.5 per cent pass rates.