What are the Police Federation of England & Wales doing for Rank & File Police Officers?

Well HERE is what they are doing . . .
Winsor Review: Statement by Ian Rennie to the Police Negotiating Board – 14th April 2011
Simon Reed, Vice Chairman, speech to the Policing Reform Conference – 14th April 2011
Chairman says ‘No Minister’ to planned changes – Police Review – 15th April 2011
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![images[11] (2)](http://www.protectourpolice.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/images11-2.jpg)
QE2 Conference Centre todays host of the Police Reform Conference
Baroness Harris calls for a Royal Commission into Policing
It appears that there were mixed messages coming from ACPO and Government at the Police Reform Conference held in the QE2 Centre in London today.
Several sources were tweeting from the event as speakers including Sir Hugh Orde, Simon Reed and Nick Herbert gave their views on the reforms.
Nick Herbert repeated claims that the Metropolitan Police were the only force recruiting praising his Tory friend and London Mayor Boris but was quickly corrected by a Surrey Councillor who stated that they were too!
However it was also widely felt that Nick Herbert criticised ACPO ranks when he said “The thing that I am increasingly doing is noting the Chief Constables from forces who are delivering these savings, all requiring difficult decisions I accept, but delivering decisions in a way which actually is protecting the frontline service, these are often the quieter chief constables, those who are not bursting out into the national media to give us the benefit of their latest opinion, but actually are getting on with the job along with their workers”.
He was of course referring to Chief Officers like Chief Chris Sims who spoke out earlier this week in the Times.
Following his speech there were several calls for an apology one of note was the Shadow Policing Minister Vernon Coker who said “This is a disgraceful attack. Oon chief constables who are understandably concerned about having to lose over 12,500 police officers because of the Tory-led government’s 20% cuts to policing,”
One tweeter even suggested he should be removed from his post!
John Shaw from G4S then as one tweeter explained ‘Exploded the myths and received wisdom about back office savings.’
Nick Gargan from the NPIA pointed out that ‘It is “facile & simplistic” to think you can save billions from procurement collaboration’
This was the press statement on the NPIA website: NPIA Chief Executive Nick Gargan today urged police colleagues not to be distracted from their central job of protecting vulnerable people by the large number of changes facing the service.
‘Speaking at the Police Reform Conference today in central London he said that the new Police Commissioners and National Crime Agency together with the impact of the Winsor and Neyroud Reviews would mean fundamental changes to the police.
He reminded the audience that police spending on IT was higher than in comparable industries. He also outlined how the NPIA’s ISIS strategy could help forces reduce IT costs and improve their service to the public. He added that every pound saved on IT could help maintain front-line policing.
He urged delegates wanting to reduce bureaucracy to fundamentally examine which services had become unaffordable rather than just trying to reduce paperwork’.
Sir Hugh Orde then spoke and said “The notion that police are the last unreformed public service is a complete nonsense” He continued to attack the Government mantra that “All we do is crime” In respect of the reform of ACPO Sir Hugh insisted that ‘The idea of the Institute of policing was not an attempt to have ACPO funded by rank & file’ He then referred to press coverage of Police reform and cuts Sir Hugh stating ‘There is a certain element of the British media that are out to discredit the work of the police … to justify pay cuts’
Simon Reed the Vice Chair Police Federation England & Wales was on the stage next. Here is a slice of his speech taken from the Police Federation website:
“If we are going to have such wide scale, but piecemeal, reform of policing then let’s do it properly.
Let’s review our role in this complex society – and
Let’s ask the public – what works and what doesn’t
Let’s find out what are their wants and needs from their police service?
Let’s ask them what they expect from their criminal justice system?
Let’s ensure we have the ability to identify and plan for future threats and challenges
Let’s ensure we are able to effectively allocate resources in time. We agree with the Police Minister that resources are precious.
This is the only way to ensure efficient and effective use of resources and reduce bureaucracy accordingly
The piecemeal and haphazard approach to reform has failed
Police officers are not resistant to change
The Police Federation of England and Wales is not resistant to change
In fact, we have been calling for considered change for over a decade now.
But change that must have the public interest at its heart
Not change for change sake; based on a whim by those merely seeking re-election
Ladies and gentlemen, what we urgently need is a Royal Commission on Policing
That way we can ensure we have a police service that is fit for purpose
A police service that delivers what the public wants
A police service that takes account of the huge changes we have seen in society
Our police service is the envy of the world
I can assure you that we are not going to roll over and the let the government destroyed it and jeopardise public safety without a fight”
Rob Garnham – Chair, Association of Police Authorities also spoke at the conference. This is a snippet of what he had to say:
‘We’re still here and fighting in the public interest both on today’s challenges and future reviews’
‘Police reforms pose a danger of infecting the police service with partiality and politicisation’
‘There is a danger of severe cuts being wielded by new police commissioners with little experience of policing’
‘There is a danger that partiality of commissioners could harm perception of each police officer’s independence’
There then followed a flood of concerns:
Police delegates raised concern of far right being elected to PCC posts with Simon Reed who was concerned that extremist PCCs were a ‘very real’ threat due to low turnout at elections and that PCCs will also be ‘too parochial’. He raised concern that PCCs will neglect issues like counter terrorism. Mr Reed also made mention of the fact that the precept should not rise when it has risen over the past 10yrs and that the public should not be paying more when they will have fewer Police Officers.
On Nick Herbert’s earlier comments suggesting silencing of some Chief Officers the Association Police Authorities later put out a press statement as follows:
“As Chief Constables’ employers, police authorities entirely agree with the Coalition Government’s programme for Government (May 2010) where it states that
“We need police forces that have greater freedom from Ministerial control”
- and are confident that the Minister would not wish his comments to be interpreted as an attempt to gag Chief Constables; not least as Chief Constables’ views and those of the Home Office and Police Authorities are of equal importance within the Tripartite arrangement which governs policing“.
You can catch up with the full brief by clicking on the following links:
Police Reform Conference – QE2 Centre London
Minister Nick Herbert ‘Trying to silence police concerns about cuts’
As always YOU can comment on this article by clicking on the ‘No Comment’ tab at the top right of this article

The Policing Debate - A Debate with many adding their opinions apart from those who matter, the very people who receive the Service – The Public!
It has been an interesting week in the Policing world again in the UK. Starting at the beginning of the week we saw the Policing cuts debate in the House of Commons which was voted through after stern debate by the opposition’s Shadow Home Secretary Yvette Cooper.
The debate was overshadowed by the weekends Murder of a colleague from the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) in Omagh by an under car bomb. Dissidents were thought to be behind the terrorist murder. PC Ronan Kerr who was at the beginning of his career was buried on Thursday. Protect Our Police opened a book of condolence which can be signed here Later in the week information was shared with the media that Dissidents were planning atrocities against other Officers of the PSNI at the rate of 1 a fortnight. Anyone with information regarding this Murder or threats from Dissidents are urged to call either the PSNI Tel: 028 8225 6659 or if you wish to remain anonymous Crime Stoppers Tel: 0800 555 111
A further Police related report was also published bringing the total now in circulation to 3! Peter Neyroud published his report into Training and Leadership within the Police Service which looks set to change the structure of the service and the Office of Constable.
It’s comforting to know that after launching our Petition for a Royal Commission last weekend that the Police Federation of England & Wales has now joined the cause. Simon Reed, Vice Chair PFEW has started a campaign for Police Officers to send a post card to YOUR MP requesting they sign the EDM for a Royal Commission into Policing. We now have over 300 signatures in just 1 week! If YOU are reading this and haven’t signed it go here
We have also had the Home Secretary launching a timescale for the Policing reform which starts this month with negotiating with the Police Negotiating Board. Theresa May has set out that she wants this negotiating to end by July, a tall expectation given how many proposals she has brought to the table!
In the media there is fierce debate regarding Policing Commissioners with articles in the Sunday tabloids regarding those who have put themselves up for the post! But is it all ‘show’? An eclectic mixture of Celebs, MPs, Ex Police Chiefs amongst the VIP list! Who would YOU choose?
Another week of the Police headlining media coverage but what has really changed?
Societies fear that the Police will not be able to do their job? MPs losing further respect over their argument that the Policing budget, just 1% of the UK income needs to be cut by 20%?
3 reports to reform the Police Service, a service which works only with the public’s consent are still lacking public consultation. When do the public have a say in what they want for THEIR Police Service?
Towards the end of the week we asked for public to give us their thoughts. Here is just one reply from a person who identifies as Bruce in Blairgowrie Scotland: -
“The cuts will only increase crime in the long run.
I would like to see an independent body investigating police complaints as the police investigating the police is wide open to corruption and violations.
Police Chiefs needs to see what is happening on the streets before they write reports. They always look good as paperwork exercises.
Many Tayside police officers are a disgrace to their uniforms, they are corrupt uniformed thugs, they constantly abuse the legal rights of individuals and have total disregard for their senior officers, one even stating that “formal complaints are a joke as all we always get is a slap on the wrist”, why would you respect such ignorant and arrogant officers, their management are as bad by protecting them!”
Our Forums will be up and running soon where we would like YOU to constructively debate the Police Service whether a Police Officer or member of the public.
In the meantime sign our Petition for a Royal Commission into Policing here
Tell us what YOU think? – To comment on this article or Bruce’s comments just click on the ‘No Comments’ tab at the top right of this article.
Brue from Blairgowrie,
EDM,
Home Secretary,
House of Commons,
MPs,
Neyroud Report,
Police Commissioners,
Policing Debate,
Policing Reform,
Shadow Home Secretary,
Simon Reed Vice Chair PFEW,
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The Public,
Theresa May,
Yvette Cooper