Page 5 - Federation magazine: December 2016 / January 2017
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seem to have been an improvement. Transition Day: Federation to
With TS1 fast-approaching as I write this, monitor impact on officers
I wonder whether there will be a similar
improvement next year? Federation officials will be visiting locations requested our presence in the newly set-up
And with 73 per cent of respondents across the Force area following Transition ‘Transition Centre’ when the major changes
from the Force saying they do not feel they Day to monitor the impact the re- go live at the end of this month.
are paid fairly for the responsibilities they organisation on officers. “Through this, we will be able at a very
have within their job, 70.9 per cent saying The Force is pressing ahead with TS1 of early stage to inform the Force of any
they did not feel valued within the police WMP2020 on 28 November, despite the concerns our members have so that we can
and the disruption of the re-organisation on Federation asking for it to be delayed due find appropriate solutions for the benefit
to its ‘significant concerns’ about resources of all. Several Federation representatives
“the horizon, I cannot see this being the case. particularly in the run-up to one of the have already volunteered to take up this
In all 57.4 per cent busiest periods in the policing calendar. role.
of rank and file West “We recognise that the chief officer “The Force’s calculations rely on a
Midlands Police team has to make difficult decisions as the number of interdependent factors lining
officers said their Force struggles to match its dwindling up and we are not convinced that will be
personal morale is resources with demand,” says Steve the case.”
currently low while Grange, secretary of West Midlands Police Both Steve and Tom Cuddeford, interim
92.6 per cent felt Federation. chairman of West Midlands Police
morale within the “The Federation has been positively Federation, intend to closely monitor the
Force was low. engaging with the Force around these effect of the changes on officers, response
major changes and the Force, in turn, times and allocation of resources.
As ever, we know that police officers will
do their best to maintain a high quality “ BWV – Federation welcomes
service for the people of the West Midlands. roll-out of cameras
They joined to serve their communities and
they will strive to do that, despite what is The Force’s decision to roll-out body worn all 1,261 response officers following a
thrown their way – workforce video cameras to all response officers has successful pilot earlier this year on
‘modernisation’, reduced resources, the odd been welcomed by the Police Federation. Birmingham South and Wolverhampton
punch. “This is excellent news for all officers,” LPUs.
But let’s hope that in 2017, we see a says Tom Cuddeford, interim chairman of The pilot found the video devices helped
reinvestment in policing so that we have the West Midlands Police Federation,“This secure an increase in charges and early guilty
number of officers and the resources we initiative has cost £1.7 million but I would say pleas, as well as a reduction in complaints.
need to do the job properly; a commitment that it is money well spent in terms of Almost 2,000 officers across four UK forces
from the Government to support and improving officer safety and also adding to and two US police departments were
protect policing, particularly in relation to public confidence.” monitored for the Cambridge University
officer and staff assaults, and an Research by Cambridge University, project.
understanding from the public that supported by the Force, has shown that The findings showed there were 113
assaulting a police officer is never following the introduction of BWV, complaints made against officers in the
acceptable. complaints by members of the public against forces taking part in the study during the
In the meantime, all that remains for me officers fell by 93 per cent nationally over 12 year trial period, compared with 1,539 in the
to do is to thank you for all your hard work months compared with the year before. 12 months before - a reduction of 93 per
during 2016. I know it’s been a challenging The Force is currently rolling out BWV to cent.
year on all fronts. I would also like to wish
you all a happy Christmas and a peaceful Match day blues
New Year. I hope that, despite any shifts you
do over the festive season, you still manage TV companies and the football authorities already trying to cope with the effects of the
to find time to spend with your families and need to more carefully consider the impact Government’s cuts programme, had to
your loved ones. Stay safe. their fixture listings have on police forces, re-arrange their own plans and that would
l The national headline statistics for the Tom Cuddeford, interim chairman of West impact on them and their families.
pay and morale survey and force breakdowns Midlands Police told Heart FM in a radio Tom also told Heart FM that there would
can be found at www.polfed.org interview. also be a knock-on effect on other officers
Tom was speaking to the station after who would have to backfill to cover officers
www.westmidspolfed.com expressing concern that many officers had called in to police the local derby.
their rest days cancelled when the Aston Tom has already taken up the issue with
Villa v Birmingham fixture was moved to the Force and with Steve White, the national
Sunday 30 October to fit in with a TV chairman of the Police Federation of England
company’s schedules. and Wales, who will be raising the issue with
He explained that hard-pressed officers, the Government.
federation December 2016/January 2017 05
