British Policing: Getting Shafted but officers still carry on!

Yesterday 117 off-duty police officers from North Yorkshire joined colleagues from all 43 forces across England and Wales on the streets of London. They were helping to demonstrate the strength of feeling that exists throughout the service about this Government’s criminal damage of a once great British institution – our police system.

The issues those police officers sought to highlight aren’t just personal ones… Current changes to British policing have massive ramifications for our society, not just the officers who serve that society. Yes, some of the change is required and dare I say it, even sensibly thought through (in the main) however; many of the proposals are being forced through by this government under false pretences.

Unfortunately there is going to be irreparable damage to policing in the UK and negative impacts upon the way that service is delivered to our society. This is the real reason why a staggering 35,000 off duty police officers marched through London to demonstrate their disgust (see here).

York Press – This is about the future of the police service: Passers-by watched as officers waved placards, bearing the words “RIP greatest police service in the world”, “enough is enough” and “cutting police by 20 per event is criminal”. Many onlookers cheered and there were spontaneous rounds of applause…(read more)

Much of the subsequent comment on the demonstration has fallen into the usual trap of being misinformed, misguided and biased. Much of the opinion and comment, mostly developed from political rhetoric and media generated claptrap, espoused by those who have little or no first-hand experience of the profession and/or some personal axe to grind, was in the main simplistic and unfortunately, mostly derogatory.

Police officers march to protest against cuts: More than 30,000 police officers from across the UK protest against police reforms, budget cuts and pay cuts (guardian.co.uk)

The mostly contrived conflict between public and private sector workers was perpetuated. This convenient smokescreen, used by so many politicians (and senior managers), seeks to disguise the true impacts presented by the current reform (aka cost-cutting) process.

Police cuts: Why officers are taking to the streets – Thursday’s demonstration in London by police was a culmination of more than a year of increasing tension between the rank-and-file officers and the government over broader reforms…(bbc.co.uk)

The list of policing activities up for grabs during the government reforms include; investigating crimes, detaining suspects, developing cases, responding to and investigating incidents, supporting victims and witnesses, managing high-risk individuals, patrolling neighbourhoods, managing intelligence, managing engagement with the public, as well as more traditional back-office functions, such as managing forensics, providing legal services, managing the vehicle fleet, finance and human resources.

Commenting on yesterday’s police demo in London, one contributor to the BBC article (above) succinctly pointed out there is also a myriad of personal issues involved… “Aside from all the dangers presented by Policing today, there’s also many other aspects of the job that the general public never consider”

• Pension contributions - 12% - the highest in the UK
• Average life expectancy after retirement - 5 years
• Days off, regularly cancelled with little notice
• Highest divorce rate of all occupations – 75%
• Working every New Years Eve
• This summer, no holiday leave allowed

Policing is an all-consuming and often dangerous profession – it creates unique pressures. Shift rotations, role conflicts, physical dangers, long hours with minimal recovery time and the need to control emotions can have a huge impact on relationships. When a police officer is exposed to additional stress at home, matters can also deteriorate quickly and the sad case of PC David Rathband evidenced this recently. 

But despite all the personal, psychological and financial impacts upon police officers, most will tell you they accept them, they can deal with them and new about them but still wanted to serve society and try to make a difference to our communities. What they have great difficulty accepting is being shafted and undervalued by politicians and, often due to our media machine, end up castigated and unsupported by the public they serve. 

It’s NOT about the money, money, money… In the past week, I’ve been pepper sprayed three times (holding on to bad guys not naughty myself I’d like to point out), punched, bitten, spat at and verbally abused on god knows how many occasions – and I didn’t even do a night shift on Friday or Saturday!! (read more)

Constable Chaos (above) et al blog about the true picture of British policing and all the real issues and personal problems faced by our police officers, it’s just a pity the public (generally) formulate their opinion of policing from our tabloid press, a factor that politicians often capitalise upon.

Policing… Could You?

Related articles

• UK Policing – Media and Politically Induced Public Misconceptions (bankbabble.wordpress.com)
• Thousands in public sector strike (bbc.co.uk)
• Police officers to march on London | Sandra Laville (guardian.co.uk)
• Police officers to stage protest march in London (independent.co.uk)
• Why police officers took to the streets (itv.com)

I’m not the only one who says they’ve got it all wrong!

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For some time I have been vociferous in my condemnation of the way in which policing is managed. Some have suggested that I may have some particular axe to grind, or I hold some hatred of senior police officers however, nothing could be further from the truth.

My sole desire has always and will always be; the drive for effective policing for the communities being served. It is what we all deserve, it’s the reason I joined the service and, it should be what we all demand.

And, to prove I hold no general disdain of, or malice towards, those of senior rank, past or present, it was interesting to read a piece on Facebook today by a past Deputy Chief Constable of mine.

Peter Walker, a previous Deputy Chief Constable of North Yorkshire Police appears to agree with many of the points I have raised previously. The main difference being, he generally views the things that anger me from a more strategic viewpoint. That said, he also appears to hold a desire to see the correct delivery of policing across our county. A service that should be delivered for the benefit of the county and it’s communities, not for the enhancement of some senior officers’ CV or to promote a few local politicians.

Peter Walker says: IT’S TIME PEOPLE REMEMBERED WHAT THE IDEA WAS…

The front page of the Darlington & Stockton Times this week (Richmondshire & Hambleton) describes North Yorkshire Police as “hitting back” at claims from the Country Land & Business Association (CLA) concerning the lack of police response to metal thefts.

The CLA describes the Police response as “usually non-existent”. In turn a “North Yorkshire Police spokesman” says how seriously the force regards the problem. I tend to lose count of how many times such responses are given by the force – whatever the problem, it is being taken “seriously”. That’s OK then. Perceived criticism has been answered, we all move on.

Those of us who keep an eye on policing issues locally can, however, detect a trend.

There are about 150 fewer Police Officers in North Yorkshire and the City of York than a couple of years ago and the North Yorkshire Police Authority‘s financial plan envisages this reduction continuing over the next few years to the point where only 1270 Police Officer posts will exist. The last time the force was made up of 1270 officers was the mid 1970′s.

At that time, North Yorkshire didn’t just have three television channels and transistor radios playing the Bay City Rollers – the population was far fewer, roads were less congested, pubs closed at ten thirty during the week.

The culture was different in society – people didn’t see a life on benefits as acceptable, courts sent Burglars to jail, a sense of personal responsibility balanced the rights of individuals more effectively than today.

These (and other) societal issues reduced the demands on the police in themselves, but the massive increase in bureaucracy, the “target culture” of the last Government and the proliferation of “back office” jobs in policing hadn’t happened either.

It follows that to try and deal with 21st century policing without a critical mass of police officers in the force will lead to depletion of the patrol and detective workforce – to the extent that significant parts of both the city and county will suffer a severe reduction in the delivery of visible, interventionist policing that is necessary to prevent public order offences in the street and in the present context, opportunist crime – particularly in rural areas.

Given the North Yorkshire Police Authority has increased its own budget by some half a million pounds over the past few years whilst police officer reductions have been taking place, one has to wonder whether it has the maintenance of the number of officers at heart. It needs to be clearly understood that in this period of austerity, whilst budgets have been reduced, decisions about the numbers of police are not being taken by Government – these are local decisions, the allocation of the budget for policing North Yorkshire and the City of York is not set in Whitehall, but at the Police Authority office in Melmerby.

Locally, the reductions in police officers are not being matched proportionally in terms of the support staff who maintain the bureaucratic machine. At the same time, I understand that little or no effort is being made to reduce the time spent filling in forms – indeed, new ones have been introduced!

Whilst the CLA’s campaign is to support changes in the law relating to Scrap Metal Dealers, that is a matter for Parliament and the Government are on the case.

In the meantime, opportunist crime in both urban and rural areas is best interdicted by visible policing – Police Officers, with effective powers of arrest, operating with the confidence that when they stop people, reinforcements are nearby. Well trained, properly equipped, intolerant of criminality at any level – and benefiting from the enormous support and intelligence this community will give them willingly, if they only have time away from the police station to find out!

It is essential that the right issues are given priority when spending is being allocated by the Police Authority. The easiest way to do this may be to remember the idea is to deliver effective and efficient policing in North Yorkshire and the City of York – not the best Project Management or being renowned for great HR Policies. Police Officers are the number one priority.

Cut the bureaucrats – not the cops!

Succinct and to the point Peter… Being one of those who has watched and commented on the performance, or lack of it, and the sunshine PR rhetoric of the force, I have to agree with Peter. The strategic direction of policing, particularly (but not exclusively) in North Yorkshire, has lost direction. They appear to have lost sight of what policing is all about. But, it is the leadership and budget management that is failing the process, not the workforce failing the community they serve.

Decisions, of a strategic nature, can only be made effectively when those making them are supplied with accurate and factual information.

The problem often lies within middle management failing to explain to senior management how things actually are. In addition, many have no stomach to admit to their failings, especially to those in positions they aspire to…”All’s OK Sir, I’ve got it under control” when clearly too often they haven’t.

Many priorities in the police service have been skewed (and lost) by the self-important methods of those who actually manage the service. They have little or no real interest in policing per se, only their own career advancement!