Page 25 - WMPF Federation Oct-Nov 2018-flip

Pay award: Historic

‘a punch on helmet

returned

the nose’ to Force

A rare helmet dating back 100 years
etropolitan Police Commissioner show that she shares our concerns and has been unearthed and returned to
Cressida Dick has said the accepts the knock-on effects of the West Midlands Police to preserve for
MGovernment’s decision to give Government’s rejection of the pay review generations to come.
police officers a two per cent pay rise was ‘a body’s recommendations. The historic helmet was worn by
punch on the nose’ given that the pay During her speech, the Commissioner an officer from Birmingham City
review body had recommended a three per said she thought the decision would not Police during the early 20th Century.
cent increase. only affect officer morale but also have an
Speaking at the Police Superintendents’ effect on recruitment and retention and told The distinctive headwear has been
Association annual conference in Leicester, delegates that she did not want police to be traced to a PC Ernest Tipler who
Ms Dick explained she was extremely hit by understaffing issues like the prison served with the Force for almost 30
disappointed at the decision. service. years before retiring in the 1940s.
“I don’t want to be disrespectful to the She argued that the two per cent pay It is synonymous with the early
political process or the Government, but I do award flew in the face of evidence and 1900s due to having a spike which
feel disappointed by the decision and I will rational argument. was replaced with a rounded top after
keep on saying so,” the Commissioner said. “I am extremely disappointed by that that period.
“Meanwhile I need to think, how can I outcome,” Ms Dick told officers, explaining The helmet - along with two old
recruit and how can I retain and how can I the police service had worked with the badges from Wolverhampton Police -
make my officers and staff feel that I really Home Office and Police Remuneration were recently acquired by Nick Davis,
value them? Because I feel this is a punch on Review Body (PRRB) to set out the case for who has kindly handed them to the
the nose.” fair pay for officers. West Midlands Police Museum.
Rich Cooke, chair of West Midlands She concluded that the decision of the The Wolverhampton Borough
Police Federation, has welcomed the Government to ignore the PRRB Police badge is believed to date back
Commissioner’s stance. recommendations had left the pay review to the Victorian period while the
“All too often, it is left to the Federation process ‘in tatters’. Wolverhampton Special Constabulary
and the Federation alone to speak up for Home Secretary Sajid Javid said, in one is thought to be more than
officers on the issue of pay,” says Rich, “So I response to the comments, that the 60-years-old.
was really pleased to hear the country’s Government had to consider pay They were recently presented to
most high profile and senior police officer recommendations across the board for Chief Constable Dave Thompson and
put on record her views on the disgusting public sector workers and had to balance will form part of the fascinating
way in which the Government has treated affordability, the recommendations and collection of items and artefacts from
officers in terms of their pay rise this year. fairness to taxpayers. the Force’s heritage.
“Once again, the Government ignored “This is a reflection of trying to strike The rare helmet will go on display
the findings of the pay review body it set up that balance and I’m not pretending it’s easy. at the police museum.
to consider our pay award and, of course, I recognise, and it’s something I recognised Inspector Steve Rice, a Force
the Federation has already condemned that early on before I was Home Secretary, that heritage lead, said: “We are extremely
decision. there is a need for more resources,” Mr Javid grateful to receive this historic helmet
“But now Cressida Dick’s comments explained. which will feature greatly within our
collection.
“It reflects back to a period of
policing many, many decades ago and
it is always intriguing to see how
times and equipment changes.
“We don’t believe there are many
of these still in existence and both the
helmet and badges will help to
further showcase our heritage.”
The museum, based at Sparkhill
Police Station, is due to move to a
new location where the collection can
be more widely viewed by the public.

www.polfed.org/westmids federation October/November 2018 25