Page 33 - WMPF Federation Aug-Sept 2021-flip_Neat

Focus on Q. I’ve been detained on duty and had to the difference between what they normally
pay and the cost of the replacement meal.
buy a meal what can I claim?
regs retained on duty beyond their normal daily officer being on a scheduled tour of duty or

There is no distinction between an
A. When a member of a police force is
being required to work on a rest day. It all
period of duty, they shall be reimbursed the
hinges around being able to obtain a meal in
cost of any meal they then necessarily
their normal manner. If they can’t, then they
obtains provided that expenditure is
So, for example, if the officer normally

reasonable and backed by a receipt. can claim.
An officer has to be retained on duty in
excess of two hours past their normal finish takes sandwiches to work, they are placed in
time to claim this allowance. the fridge on arrival at work and then the
officer is detained away from the station due
Q. I’m having to attend a police residential to operational requirements and is unable to
training course what can I claim? eat the sandwiches then the officer could
A. Incidental Expenses Allowance for those obtain a replacement meal and deduct the
attending residential training courses cost of the original meal when submitting a
At the Police Negotiating Board meeting claim.
on 9 February 2005, it was agreed that the In respect of officers having to remain on
incidental expenses allowance for those duty past their normal daily period of duty
attending residential training courses (those officers who have been placed on 12
should be frozen at its current level of £4.43 hours), once the officer goes beyond two
per night. The maximum allowance is £17.77 hours of their normal scheduled tour of duty
per week, except where an officer has to they are entitled to claim for a meal they
attend for a week’s course of training on the then obtain, this must be reasonable and
preceding Sunday night and will therefore backed by a receipt.
be in attendance for five nights. In conclusion, unless the officers can
show they were unable to obtain a meal in
In each edition of Federation, Q. I’m not working at my normal parade their normal manner and have deducted the
we focus on some of the station, can I claim a meal as I don’t know if cost of that meal from the replacement
there is a fridge there where I can put my meal the claim will fail.
Police Regulations most sandwiches? The Heads of Agreement set the level of
frequently queried with our A. If an officer is unable to obtain a meal in meal expenditure for officers not to exceed,
their usual manner and, as a result, it costs £6 for breakfast, £7.50 for lunch and £10 for
office expert Gary Nuttall. them more money, then the officer can claim dinner.

Award-winning dog handler

praises inspirational pooch

“I looked down at my hands and there was at first, he was waving it around and I couldn’t Stark, “I was extremely concerned.”
blood on them. I initially thought he’d been get near,” explained Paul, who has been in the Stark took around six weeks off work to
hit with a stick, but it was actually a Force for nearly 28 years and a dog handler for recover in which time he unbelievably
machete. It could’ve been me on the the past two-and-a-half. qualified as a firearms support dog, with the
receiving end of that, Stark essentially saved “My main concern was for the dog. To be training managed due to risk of his injuries
my life.” honest, I thought he was going to kill him.” getting infected.
West Midlands dog handler PC Paul Paul says that despite being attacked, Paul added: “The first night back to work
Hopley, who has received the Force’s ‘Dog Stark, who was just two-year-old at the time, and it was as if the attack hadn’t affected
Action of the Year’ Award, alongside police “never backed off”, persevering to detain the him at all. In fact, he actually located a
dog Stark has told how “incredibly proud” offender. wanted offender who was hiding in a
he is of his furry four-legged partner. “Eventually I managed to spray him, then garden.
The duo have been recognised for their Stark and I both jumped on him,” Paul added. “I think that’s a reflection of his strength.
bravery following an incident that took Once the offender was being handled by He just got straight back on with the job.”
place last year which involved German fellow officers, a seriously injured Stark was Paul and Stark have since received the
shepherd Stark being attacked by an blue-lighted to the local PDSA centre, where award, which recognises them for their
offender. he was treated. dedication and bravery.
The pair were called to allotments He had a total of nine deep cuts to the “Stark deserves all the praise he can get,”
where there had been reports of three head, one of which had missed his eye by a says Paul, who says the bond he has with
males walking around with torches. small fraction, which meant he needed Stark is “something special”.
“After around 20 minutes, Stark surgery and stitching. He added: “He was viciously attacked,
indicated that he had found someone and “I didn’t realise the extent of his injuries at and I dread to think what would’ve
when I ran round the corner to join him, he first,” says Paul, who actually went on to raise happened had he not been there. He
was being hit. I thought it was with a stick £2,000 for the PDSA following their care for protected me.”

www.polfed.org/westmids federation August/September 2021 33