More crime, more victims, fewer police - Police Federation responds to ONS statistics
The Government needs to talk less and do more as stark statistics further highlight the true extent of the violent crime epidemic gripping the country, says vice-chair of the Police Federation of England and Wales.
Police-recorded crime figures released today (25 April) by the Office of National Statistics (ONS) shows crime is continuing to rise in all but a handful of categories.
Over the year to December 2018 offences involving knives or sharp instruments went up by 6% to 40,829 making it the highest since records began.
Stigma around menopause still exists and a majority of police officers and staff struggle at work when enduring the symptoms, a first of a kind survey has revealed.
The Police Federation of England and Wales’ (PFEW) Menopause Survey, initiated to help improve working conditions for PFEW’s federated members, soon caught the attention of others in policing when UNISON, the Police Superintendents’ Association, the National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC), and the College of Policing got on board to help promote it to their members and staff.
The findings give insight into just how much the condition affects the working lives of police officers and staff.
A vast majority (76%) who had either gone through or were going through the menopause admitted they had found symptoms either moderately or extremely problematic at work, with more than eight out of ten agreeing tiredness and sleep disturbances were having a detrimental effect
PFEW’s Roads Policing Conference and Awards 2019 takes place later this month with a full agenda, on the theme of ‘Officer Welfare Matters’.
The two day event will be at the Jury’s Inn Hotel in Hinckley, Leicestershire, on 29-30 January.
Around 70 frontline officers are already trained in the use of this vital piece of protective equipment - more officers having access to this is welcome news. This news follows a successful trial in police custody, with the decision made to extend the use of spit and bite guards to help protect police officers and staff from the abhorrent and vile act of spitting and biting. It is expected that the guards will be in police vehicles initially, but if the need arises, they may become standard individual issue.
The Police Federation of England and Wales (PFEW) has announced that formal legal proceedings will now commence following the Government’s failure to act on police pay recommendations.
The staff association for police officers in England and Wales has lodged an application to Judicial Review proceedings into the lawfulness of the Government’s decision to ignore the recommendations of the Police Remuneration Review Body (PRRB) for the second consecutive year.
The Police Federation of England and Wales (PFEW) responds to Channel 4’s Dispatches programme which appears to show that forces are so overstretched that nearly a million crimes are not being fully investigated. PFEW chair John Apter said: “At the risk of sounding like a broken record, I find myself wondering why there is a sharp intake of breath every time new crime figures come out. “We have been warning for some time of the impending crisis in policing, which is now here.
With a plethora of events coming up for custodial services, 999 workers and those involved in criminal justice, we offer a round-up including highlights of each. We will be attending some of the events and look forward to meeting you there.
Please contact us with any future events which you would like to be added to our diary dates – email editorial@euromediaal.com.
• Police Federation: National Custody Seminar
September 11 & 12, De Vere Hotel, Daventry, Northamptonshire
The Police Federation of England and Wales will host its annual Custody Seminar in September, and a number of speakers have been confirmed to date, with pre-charge bail and mental health being two of the topics on the agenda.
Calum Macleod, Chair of the Police Federation of England and Wales, speaks at the PolFed annual conference:
When I first became a police officer more than 22 years ago in Strathclyde, I never imagined I’d be sat here, as chair of the organisation that represents the backbone of British policing the Home Secretary.
Yet here I am, on the eve of my first conference as chair, reflecting on a situation where we have welcomed another newcomer to the political stage, the new Home Secretary Sajid Javid.
The Police Federation of England and Wales’ annual conference is taking place at the ICC in Birmingham on May 22 and 23 – and organisers are urging those wishing to attend to register now.
Running from 9am on the Tuesday with an opening address from chair Calum Macleod, and concluding at 5pm on Wednesday, the theme for this year is “Protecting the Protectors – the reality of policing”, focusing on issues including better protection for officers assaulted on duty and for those who undertake emergency response and pursuit drives.