Police goodwill being eroded warns PSAEW president

The Government’s implementation of changes to police officers’ pay and conditions, which come on top of a three-year public sector pay freeze, were causing a “loss of goodwill” to the Government, says the Police Superintendents’ Association of England and Wales (PSAEW).

Derek Barnett, president of the PSAEW, addressed delegates at its annual conference in Kenilworth this week and said all police officers face a “real and immediate fall in income”.

However, he added that the police service was “not a hot bed of militancy” and that, with a new policing minister, PSAEW president and Police Federation chair, the time was right to reset their relationship.

Last week, changes to police pensions were agreed which mean that all officers will contribute more towards their pension and work longer till retirement.

“Police officers do not join the service to become rich or highly paid. They do so from a sense of vocation to serve and protect their fellow citizens. In return, police officers expect pay that’s fair and a means by which to negotiate; a reasonable pension that reflects the demands they face and the contributions they make, protection from working excessive hours, and in the event of injury on duty an expectation that they will be properly treated,” said Mr Barnett.

“Yet the reality is that police officers today feel under attack and unjustly criticised. They feel undervalued. Some are resentful; many feel that they have been unfairly treated and that the service has endured a disproportionate burden of the cuts to public spending.”

Mr Barnett added that the police service has experienced “a disproportionally greater burden of the cuts” compared to other public services, which has resulted in police stations being closed, specialist units such as mounted branches and underwater search units disbanded and fewer visible community and response officers. The PSAEW said that no matter how much the Government drives out bureaucracy, improves procurement and makes better use of technology, it is not possible to lose 34,000 people from policing without losing resilience, the ability to respond quickly and effectively and the capacity to put large numbers of officers into a volatile situation.

The controversial Regulation A19, which can see some police officers forced to retire upon 30 years of service, was also condemned as “unnecessary” and a “waste of talent and experience”.

Meanwhile, Mr Barnett backed the Government’s decision to create the College of Policing in December aimed at protecting the public interest, enhancing policing standards, identifying evidence of what works in policing and sharing best practice.

Mr Barnett said the college will help reflect diversity, fully develop people’s skills, “unfailingly” promote the best individuals and create the best possible recruitment processes. He added that although the college will not guarantee this will be the outcome, it does, for the first time in policing, provide a governing body able to innovate and introduce change that will include not just chief officers, but also representatives from all parts of the service and a strong independent element on the board.

However, the PSAEW said its support is not unconditional.

“The new college must be fearlessly independent of government. It should not be simply the reincarnation of the NPIA (National Policing Improvement Agency) or a replica of ACPO (Association of Chief Police Officers). The voice of the Police Federation, the Superintendents’ Association and the other representative bodies must be listened to and become an integral part of decision making,” explained Mr Barnett.

Attendees were also told how officers are not “poorly educated, overweight, lazy and incompetent” and that to the overwhelming majority of professional, proud, industrious, honest, intelligent and fit police officers such claims have been hugely wounding and demoralising – especially following last year’s violent riots.