Page 11 - WMPF Federation Magazine February / March 2018

Single crewing is

‘putting officers at risk’

new study has provided fresh much greater and will pose less of a risk to However, the default position ought to be
evidence that single crewing could be both the suspect and the officers. double crewing of officers engaged in patrol
Aputting the safety of police officers at “And, an officer out on their own in a work for the benefit of them and of the
risk. remote location at night is not necessarily public.”
It found that officers who indicated they going to stop a vehicle full of suspects as they Another area of concern for officers, Simon
were often, or always single crewed had could be putting themselves at risk – so it is explained, is around accountability and
‘significantly elevated odds’ of being also having a knock-on effect to the service malicious complaints that are made about
subjected to verbal insults and threats and we can provide the public.” them: “Single crewed officers, until body-worn
physical attacks and injuries requiring The study also revealed 47 per cent of video is issued to all, are more susceptible to
medical attention. respondents had been attacked with a false complaints or allegations from those
Among officers indicating crewing was weapon at least once within the last year and who would lie about the police in order to
applicable to their role, 73 per cent reported 26 per cent had suffered one or more injuries deflect from their own behaviour or because
having been single crewed often or always in that required medical attention as a result of of simple malice.”
the preceding 12-month period. work-related violence in the preceding The Federation presented the results of
And 71 per cent of respondents said they 12-month period. the study – which is called ‘Single Crewing in
have been verbally insulted, 55 per cent said PFEW lead on operational policing Simon English and Welsh Policing: Frequency and
verbally threatened and 44 per cent had been Kempton said single crewing is Associations with Violence Towards and
the victim of an unarmed physical attack at fundamentally a consequence of budget cuts Injuries in Officers’ - at the British
least once per month over the preceding and the lack of resources across forces. He Psychological Society’s Division of
12-month period. said: “There are times, for example, when one Occupational Psychology conference from 10
The study was carried out jointly by the
Police Federation of England and Wales officer is taking a protracted statement that - 12 January at the Crowne Plaza in Stratford-
that we have some evidence to back it up.“ An officer out on their own in a remote
it would be inefficient to be with a colleague.
upon-Avon.
(PFEW) and University of Nottingham and
canvassed the views of 11,397 officers from
43 territorial forces.
Tom Cuddeford, chair of West Midlands

location at night is not necessarily going
Police Federation, said: “This comes as
absolutely no surprise to me at all – it is
simply common sense. However, it is good to stop a vehicle full of suspects as they
“A single crewed officer is going to have
to use considerably more force to detain
someone that say two officers would if they is also having a knock-on effect to the
could use a simple arm hold, as an example.
The options available to that double crew are
service we can provide the public.

could be putting themselves at risk – so it “

www.westmidspolfed.com federation February/March 2018 11