PC Harper petition nears one million signatures as campaign moves 'beyond policing'
A petition calling for the killers of PC Andrew Harper to remain in prison is approaching one million signatures, with the Police Federation saying the campaign has developed into a wider test of public confidence in the justice system.
The petition, launched by Thames Valley Police Federation, has attracted almost one million signatures amid anger over the prospect of Jessie Cole and Albert Bowers being released early.
West Mercia Police Federation chair Gareth Spreadbury said the scale of the public response showed that the issue had moved beyond policing. “This has gone beyond the uniform – it’s impacted the nation, not just those in policing,” he said.
Spreadbury said the response demonstrated the strength of feeling about the prospect of the two men benefiting from changes to prisoner release arrangements introduced against a backdrop of severe prison overcrowding.
Cole and Bowers were sentenced to 13 years for manslaughter following PC Harper’s death in 2019. The driver of the vehicle, Henry Long, received a 16-year sentence and is not eligible for the early release arrangements.
The prospect of the pair being released early has prompted criticism from PC Harper’s family, policing organisations and victims’ groups.
It also highlights the significance of Harper’s Law, introduced following a campaign by PC Harper’s widow Lissie Harper. The legislation provides for mandatory life sentences for unlawful-act manslaughter where the victim is an emergency worker acting in the course of their duties, subject to exceptional circumstances. It did not apply retrospectively to Harper’s killers.
Spreadbury said the issue had particular significance for serving officers who continue to face the possibility of being seriously injured or killed while carrying out their duties. “There is a police officer somewhere, going out on a job, wondering if they will go home alive tonight,” he said. “And at the same time, they will be wondering if they have the support of the Government.”
“The message is about fairness. It is about accountability. And it is about whether the loss of a life – including the life of a police officer who died serving the public – should carry lasting consequences.”
Thames Valley Police Federation chair Aileen O’Connor, who launched the petition, has vowed to continue campaigning until the Government acts.