Page 15 - WMPF Federation June-July 2021_Neat

Q and A

WITH HOME

SECRETARY

National chair John Apter and Home Secretary Priti Patel.
Following the keynote speeches from wanted.” ways and as crime changes, policing must
national chair John Apter and Home Another question from the Met was change. There are changes being made at
Secretary Priti Patel, facilitator Ian Collins around the Independent Office for Police the college and it’s also about how we invest
remarked on the good working relationship Conduct (IOPC) and its lack of accountability. in officers,” she said.
the two appeared to enjoy. The Home Secretary said the IOPC is John added: “We changed the way we
John said: “Our dialogue is positive and ‘absolutely’ accountable to her. She said: “I recruited and attracted and I do think the
open but I don’t sugar-coat anything. That meet and work with them and we have messaging was wrong from the college
works both ways though and I’m often on made great strides. I have told them this because it definitely put people who were
the naughty step.” end-to-end approach and putting officers’ more mature off. I want to see more mature
The Q & A session that followed their lives on hold is unacceptable and as a result
addresses prompted numerous questions. they have changed their practice. But I need We are committed to
Ken Marsh, chair of the Metropolitan to hear from the frontline because if we “
Police Federation, said colleagues had been need to do more, we will.” making sure the
forced to ‘beg, borrow or steal’ vaccinations John said more improvement was still lowest paid
and treated with contempt. needed, adding: “The IOPC have done well
Ms Patel said she did not recognise his but they must do better. For us, they are on absolutely do get a
statement, adding: “The Government probation.”
worked with the committee (the Joint Another Metropolitan Police question pay rise.
Committee on Vaccination and was around police forces being “
Immunisation) and followed their advice. representative of ‘the diverse multinational
That’s not about letting people down. This society’ of the UK and the Home Secretary people coming in but while recruitment is
time last year people were dying and the responded by saying she was ‘really proud of important, retention is as important. We’ve
elderly and vulnerable were in desperate the work around diversity and outreach that got to try to harness those people with the
need so the committee was having to make takes place in policing’. skills they’ve developed over many years.”
life and death decisions. Officers are now A slightly different diversity question As the session came to an end, the Home
being vaccinated and are covered by the came from a Sussex officer who joined at the Secretary was asked if she had an over-riding
cohorting and age ranges and the age of 39. He asked the Home Secretary if final message. She said: “There’s a lot I could
vaccination programme has been she thought the low starting salary meant say but primarily it’s enormous thanks and
phenomenal.” the job was unappealing to older candidates gratitude for the public service our officers
John added: “I felt so let down on behalf who ‘could bring a great deal of life give and have shown over the last 12
of my colleagues. When I had the Home experience to the job’. months.
Secretary and chief constables supporting She said “I do want to encourage more “Policing has been front and centre
me on getting them vaccinated, I was people to come to policing later in life throughout and policing has helped stop the
hopeful. So I felt shattered when it didn’t because they have the experience that will spread of the virus and it has helped to
benefit policing at all levels and in different
turn into the decision my colleagues
“ There’s a lot I could say but primarily it’s been out there.
saved lives so thanks to everybody who has

“We know we’ve got new challenges as
we come out of lockdown but from my
enormous thanks and gratitude for the public
perspective that’s about backing the police
and giving officers all the support they need
service our officers give and have shown over
committed to making sure the lowest paid
the last 12 months. “ to get on and do their job. And we are
absolutely do get a pay rise.”
www.polfed.org/westmids federation April/May 2021 15