Page 5 - WMPF Federation OCT-NOV 2019-flip_Neat

Secretary’s introduction Driver who ran over

Memorial day: a simply going about their duties, serving the PC is jailed others who seem to think it’s OK to attack

public, are injured.
Car thief Mubashar Hussain has been
As a society, we must ensure that

a police officer.”
jailed for 12 years for knocking down and
someone protects those who seek to protect
running over West Midlands traffic cop

PC Phillips was responding to reports
poignant reminder others and, with some people already Gaz Phillips, leaving him critically injured. of a car theft after a Range Rover Sport
predicting riots if we fail to leave Europe on
was taken from Warwick Road, Tyseley. It

PC Phillips (42) had three rounds of
31 October, I feel that could become even
emergency surgery and spent four weeks
was tracked to Moorcroft Road with
more important than ever.
Hussain (29) at the wheel and fellow car
in hospital after suffering multiple pelvic
I can see demand increasing at a time

fractures and serious internal injuries in
thief Ahsan Ghafoor (24) in the front
when we are already stretched. As we seek to
of the dangers maintain our core services, I think we could the horrific incident on Moorcroft Road, passenger seat. They were alongside
another Range Rover stolen the previous
Moseley on 10 August.
find ourselves under huge pressure but, as
day.

Steve Grange, secretary of West
they do day in, day out, police officers will do
Midlands Police Federation, has welcomed
Ghafoor was arrested but Hussain,

their utmost to serve their communities,
Hussain’s sentence.
who had been banned from driving for
regardless of the risks they face in doing so.
four years in May last year, resisted and,

“Police officers put their lives on the
Pensions
officers face We appreciate there is still much concern line as they go about their duties despite being Tasered, forced his way past
officers and jumped into an unmarked
protecting the public. The very least they
among members around the fall-out from the
BMW traffic car.
can expect is that those who deliberately
new police pension scheme.

PC Phillips clung to the driver’s door
attack them just for doing their job feel

Along with all other branches of the
Police Federation, we signed up to the
“This was a shocking incident and PC

slammed the car into reverse - and was left
collective statement on pensions issued over the full weight of the law,” says Steve. but was flung to the floor when Hussain
the summer. Phillips’ injuries were life-threatening. This defenceless on the ground, when Hussain
Our stance has always been that police incident has had a huge impact on him drove over him with both sets of wheels.
lives in the line of duty. now increasingly fearing the deliberate officers should have stayed in the pension and his family and will continue to do so. Hussain, who was sentenced at
National Police Memorial Day, which was attacks on them; attacks that are not schemes they signed up to, or better but, the There is no certainty as yet as to his Birmingham Crown Court on 15 October,
first held in London’s St Paul’s Cathedral in necessarily aimed at them as people but just Federation has no negotiation rights on long-term prognosis but he is definitely will serve at least two thirds of his 12-year
2004, seeks to honour those officers who because they are wearing the police uniform. pensions. facing more surgery in the future though prison sentence. He will then spend
have been killed, or died, on duty. While there have been some horrendous Following the ruling on the judges’ and he very much wants to return to policing. another five years on licence and will be
Given that 4,000 police officers have died incidents nationwide, we have two here in the firefighters’ legal appeal over changes to their “All too often we hear of assaults on subject to recall to prison if he breaks the
on duty, often in brutal circumstances, since West Midlands where our officers have been pensions, we are waiting to hear what police officers with an average of 25 a terms of his release.
an Act of Parliament in 1792 created the first left with life-changing injuries. remedy the Government will put forward. It week in the West Midlands and, sadly, Ghafoor, of no fixed address, admitted
salaried constables, it seems almost PC Gareth Phillips was run over by a police has made it clear it will apply an industrial many of our members are coming to two counts of car theft and dangerous
unbelievable that a memorial day in their car when he responded to reports of a stolen remedy to the discrimination found by the expect these attacks as being part of the driving and was jailed for 28 months.
honour is such a recent addition to the car in the late afternoon of 10 August. After Employment Appeal Tribunal which means job. That cannot be allowed to continue. SUPPORT FROM COLLEAGUES
policing calendar. around a month in hospital, Gareth is now this will apply to every worker in public sector “While we appreciate the nature of A fund-raising appeal set up to support PC
And, we should all commend Joe Holness, continuing his recovery at home. pension schemes – including police officers. our role puts us in some difficult Phillips exceeded its £15,000 target within
the former Kent officer, who founded Just six weeks later, PC Chris Burnham was The Federation has always said it would situations where emotions can be running days of being launched.
National Police Memorial Day following the the victim of a ‘hit and run’ when he not pay the private legal fees for the ‘Pension high, these deliberate and vicious attacks Colleagues who launched the appeal
death of his colleague PC Jon Odell, for his attempted to stop a car in Coventry and Challenge’. This position remains unchanged. on officers have to be tackled. Perpetrators wanted to raise £15,000 for PC Phillips and
efforts to ensure that there is now a day each suffered a fracture skull, a bleed on the brain However, once the Government proposes need to be suitably punished and his family but the total now stands at
year when police officers from across the and leg injuries. a remedy, it will consider if it needs to submit hopefully this will act as a deterrent to £19,412 with donations still coming in.
country and from all ranks join the families of Sadly, these incidents are a sign of the a challenge on behalf of all officers.
fallen officers to show that their sacrifice is times we live in. There has been an upsurge in You can read the latest Police Federation
By Steve Grange, secretary of West Midlands not forgotten. attacks on police officers and we are waiting of England and Wales update on pensions on PC injured in ‘hit and run’
Police Federation The service rotates around England, to see if the tougher sentences introduced Page 11.
Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales each last year for anyone found guilty of assaulting The shocking incident in which West Midlands PC Chris Burnham was injured in an
he vast majority of people seeking to year and this year was held in Glasgow on a police officer or other emergency service alleged ‘hit and run’ in Coventry is another example of the daily risks police face as they
join the police service will do so out of Sunday 29 September. It is a very moving worker prove to be an effective punishment Roadshow heading go about their duties, says the secretary of West Midlands Police Federation.
Ta sense of a desire to serve the public. service culminating in paper petals falling and deterrent. And Steve Grange says more needs to be done to tackle the growing number of
Underpinning that many would probably from the ceiling as ‘Abide With Me’ is played The Government does finally appear to be to Coventry mindless attacks on police officers.
cite the varied nature of the work and job and the Last Post is sounded. listening to our warnings though. At the end The West Midlands Police Federation “First and foremost, I would like to wish Chris a speedy recovery. Our thoughts are
security. I think most officers can relate to the of September, the Home Secretary announced roadshow will be in Coventry on with him and his family at this time,” says Steve, “It seems to me that almost on a daily
On the flip side of that, we also all sign up sentiment ‘there but for the grace of God go I’ £10 million would be set aside for a Taser Monday 9 December between 10am basis we are hearing of a police officer being injured in the line of duty and that cannot
knowing that we will at times put ourselves when attending the service and, for me, this uplift which could see up to 10,000 police and 3pm. be allowed to continue.
in harm’s way as we seek to fight crime, keep year’s service had a particularly sombre air officers trained and equipped with the Members services providers will “Police officers are dedicated to serving their communities, fighting and preventing
the peace and protect the vulnerable. We coming just six weeks after the tragic death devices. We know they can help de-escalate crime, keeping order and protecting the vulnerable but they should not be attacked for
expect there will be occasions when we will of the young Thames Valley PC Andrew many a situation that otherwise could have be in attendance along with doing their job. An assault on a police officer upholding the law is an assault on society
get injured as a result, perhaps knocked over Harper. resulted in officers – or members of the public Federation representatives who can and those convicted of these attacks should face heavy penalties.”
or accidentally hit as we get caught up in His death has truly shocked the nation – being injured or killed. answer your queries. There will also The neighbourhood officer attempted to stop a car in Holbrooks Lane, Radford, just
breaking up a fight. and has also highlighted the dangers police While we wait for these extra Taser- be giveaways and a raffle for a £50 before 2.45pm on September 25. He was run over and was taken to hospital where he is
Then, of course, there are those officers are facing on a day to day basis. No trained officers to reach the streets – along Amazon gift voucher. being treated for a fractured skull, a bleed on the brain and a shattered knee.
incidents at the far end of the scale, when, longer are officers going out on duty aware of with the 20,000 new recruits promised by the Full details will be available on l Tekle Lennox (37) of no fixed abode has been charged with attempted murder, driving
in seeking to protect the public, police the ‘accidental’ injuries, the knocks and Prime Minister – I am afraid we may continue the website. while disqualified and driving without insurance.
officers pay the ultimate price, losing their glancing blows they might suffer. They are to hear of incidents where police officers,
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