Page 26 - WMPF Federation DEC 2019-flip

West Midlands Police Federation
Review

of the year 2019

JANUARY 25 The Police Federation issues a briefing 12 The Police Federation seeks a three-year
paper in response to the latest Court of pay deal for officers with a five per cent
2 2019 marks a Appeal ruling on the judges’ and uplift in each year. It says this will bring
milestone in the firefighters’ pension challenges. The police pay back to ‘fair levels’. The
Police Federation of briefing, put together by the Federation’s Federation says if the three-year deal is
England and Wales’ research and policy team, gives the not considered possible, it will put
(PFEW) history as the background to the concerns around forward a claim for a 6.2 per cent rise
organisation turns changes made to pensions for many this year with an increase coming into
100 and starts the milestone year hard public sector workers – including the effect from 1 September. Details of the
on the heels of a transformed election police, firefighters and judges – in 2015. pay claim are part of a joint submission
process which appointed many new reps to the Police Remuneration Review Body
across England and Wales. National (PRRB) with the Superintendents’
Federation chair John Apter, says: “This is FEBRUARY Association.
a big year for us as we turn 100. It’s
important that we recognise the brilliant 13 The Federation’s demand, capacity and
work that goes on locally and nationally welfare survey reveals that 84 per cent of
to help make our members’ lives that members in the West Midlands feel
little bit better, much of which goes on there are not enough officers to do the
unseen every day. This year, as part of the job properly. That is slightly less than the
centenary, we will focus on the difference national figure of 90 per cent. The survey
that the Federation has made to also found that 73 per cent of West
members’ lives, both serving and retired Midlands Federation members feel their
– not only on a day-to-day basis but also workload is too high or much too high.
during key events in police history such And 79 per cent of respondents indicated
as mutual aid, equality and how policing they had experienced feelings of stress,
has changed.” low mood, anxiety or other difficulties
with their health and wellbeing over the
22 West Midlands Police Federation last 12 months, in line with the national
discipline lead John Tooms says the legal figure.
test used by the Independent Office for
Police Conduct (IOPC) to determine if a 1 Tim Rogers, deputy secretary of West 28 West Midlands chair Rich Cooke says
misconduct case should go ahead needs Midlands Police Federation and the established front-line police officers
to be reformed. He says too many officers Federation’s response driving lead, tells need to be trained in the use of Taser
are being put through ‘traumatising’ the Federation’s national roads policing and issued with the devices before any
misconduct cases only to find they have conference the Government needs to roll-out to student officers. He is
no case to answer. state precisely when it will make the
amendments to the law it has promised responding to a statement from police
to ensure police drivers get the legal minister Nick Hurd on the decision to
protection they need when carrying out allow student officers access to Taser.
their job

7 The first West Midlands Police
24 Home Office figures reveal the number of
officers serving in the West Midlands Federation retirement seminar is held at
Force area has continued to fall. The Guardians House. Further seminars are
Police Workforce Statistics show that held throughout the year.
from March to September 2018 the Force
lost 22 officers (0.3 per cent). John
Williams, deputy chair of West Midlands
Police Federation, said there was little
headway being made ‘in terms of getting
more officers back on our streets to help
fight the upsurge in violent crime
sweeping the country and our Force area’.

26 federation December 2019/January 2020 www.polfed.org/westmids