Page 18 - Federation Magazine June / July 2017
P. 18
New joint approach to better
protect police drivers
Dogged determination seems to have West Midlands Police Federation’s deputy secretary Tim Rogers.
paid off for West Midlands Police
Federation’s deputy secretary Tim delegates, “But the training you get has to guidance needs to be changed to better
Rogers who, as the national Federation’s be reflected in roads policing legislation.” reflect the realities of police driving so we
response driving lead, has been The Federation is planning to write to all can work towards the very best protection
spearheading a campaign for a change in police drivers to warn them of all the risks for officers.”
the law to give better protection to police they face. The Federation’s suggested But Mr Aldred pointed out that the DPP
drivers. amendment to wording was, Tim said, seen guidance had already been changed to
West Mercia’s Chief Constable Anthony as ‘a sensible starting point’ by many people. reflect the need for protection, in
Bangham, roads policing lead at the CC Bangham gave a commitment to conjunction with the Federation a few years
National Police Chiefs’ Council, signalled at working with the Federation to ensure that ago.
conference that he would work closely with police drivers get the best training and “It’s not about the guidance. Officers
the Federation on the issue. agreed that pursuit drivers needed better don’t get charged with running a red light -
Tim was making a reluctant return to protection. if something happens, it gets dressed up as
the conference stage, having outlined the He said: “There’s a possibility of a law dangerous or careless driving, and that’s the
Federation’s campaign at conference last change, but it will take a long time. The DPP problem. The issue with guidance is it’s just
year he had been hoping for more progress that, guidance,” he told conference.
in the intervening year – given that the A life on hold…
Federation has been calling for a change in
the law for seven years. Merseyside police officer James Ellerman found he was riding a stolen bike and
Instead he had found more officers were also gave a presentation at conference, was disqualified from driving.
being prosecuted for simply doing their job. talking about his own experiences of He thought that would be the end of
Heading a panel made up of Mr being prosecuted for dangerous driving it but it was just the beginning. He was
Bangham and Mark Aldred, a barrister and after preventing a man who had been served with gross misconduct papers and
former police officer involved in the riding a motorcycle recklessly in Liverpool prosecuted.
campaign, Tim introduced the session returning to the city centre by knocking The judge finally cleared him, saying
explaining the lack of legal protection for him from the vehicle using his police van. of James’ intervention ‘he was damned if
officers in pursuit or response drives. He talked about the stress he went he did and damned if he didn’t’.
The current legislation means that through during the investigation, the
regardless of their training and experience, sleepless nights, shaking with fear at the
they are judged by the standards of the thought of being sent to prison and the
‘careful and competent driver’ who is fact that the up and coming trial had
unlikely to go through a red light, cross the overshadowed the birth of his second
wrong side of bollards and so on. This means daughter. His life, he said, was put on
those engaging in a response or pursuit are hold.
vulnerable to a prosecution charge of He explained that he felt he had no
dangerous or careless driving. alternative but, using his knowledge,
The current guidelines, Tim said, were training and experience to cause the
unsatisfactory and unworkable leaving collision. He feared someone would be
officers risking their liberty and livelihood. injured or killed if the motorcyclist was
“We are not asking for you to be able to not stopped.
drive carelessly and dangerously,” he told “I had to stop him returning to the
city, I couldn’t do nothing,” said James,
OUR REP SAYS: explaining that he felt he had to fulfil his
duties of protecting the public, protecting
“Steve White requested that the property and that the motorcyclist posed
Home Secretary support a change a risk to the public.
in the law to protect officers who On arresting the motorcyclist, he
are being prosecuted because their
training is not recognised when
they use those skills responding to
incidents and protecting the public.
He warned her that even though we
don’t want to we may have to warn
officers not to exceed speed limits
when responding to incidents.”
Steve Grange, secretary of West Midlands
Police Federation
18 federation June/July 2017 www.westmidspolfed.com
