Taser Trained Officers Needed’ – See Page 4
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Chris Fairhurst 2nd Floor, Commercial Wharf, 6 Commercial Street, Manchester M15 4PZ Partner www.mcalisterfamilylaw.co.uk 0333 202 6433 MFL A4 Police Divorce Advert.indd 1 15/11/2018 15:07 Welcome What’s inside Welcome to the June/July 2019 edition of federation - the magazine 04 Chair’s introduction for members of West Midlands Police 18 Federation. 06 Pay and morale: have your say We are always on the look-out for good news stories so please get in touch if you have something to share 07 Queen honours Force’s lead with colleagues. It does not have to chaplain relate to your policing role – though we are definitely interested in hearing 20 EveryonePause - menopause about what’s going on around the survey results published Force. Do you have an interesting hobby or perhaps you are involved in 21 Preparing for retirement? sport locally, as a player, a manager, a coach? Tim welcomes breakthrough on 22 ’Good’ rating for Force in PEEL Just get in touch and let us know. response driving legislation inspection We would also be interested to hear 23 Putting the emphasis on what you would like to see featured in 08 Campaign timeline your magazine. quality training 10 Brave officers put forward for national award 10 ‘Government must act on 24 Published by: crime’ XPR (UK) Ltd 11 Sophie wins Police Officer of Editor: Rich Cooke, chair the Year Award Deputy editor: Chris Cooper, Member services team leader Clocking up the miles ahead of [email protected] 12 charity challenge Design and sub-editing: XPR (UK) Ltd 25 New National Police Wellbeing Contact us: Service Guardians House, 2111 Coventry Road, Sheldon, Birmingham, 26 How does a court deal with B26 3EA finances on divorce? A real life Telephone: story 0121 752 4900 Federation’s conduct lead Email: looks back on his career as 27 Support police widows [email protected] he heads into retirement 27 Federation roadshow stops at www.polfed.org/westmids Perry Barr Federation is printed by XPR (UK) Ltd on behalf 14 TRiM: ensuring a consistent of West Midlands Police Federation. 29 Does the common law spouse The articles published do not necessarily reflect approach Force-wide the views of the Branch Council. The editor exist? reserves the right to reject or edit any material 15 New survey reveals one in five 31 Ashley books a crime-fighting submitted. officers has PTSD Every care is taken to ensure that panda advertisements are accepted only from bona 16 Knife Angel leaves the city fide advertisers. The Police Federation cannot 33 West Midlands Police accept liability for losses incurred by any person as a result of a default on the part of an 17 PM must act on knife crime Benevolent Fund advertiser. All material is copyright and may not be 17 Force receives more funding to 35 West Midlands Police reproduced without the express permission of tackle violent crime Federation workplace reps the editor. Advertisers 02 McAlister, family law 32 George Burrows, Group Insurance 27 Warren & Co, independent Scheme mortgage advice 33 Gorvins, police and family law 28 Slater & Gordon, family law 34 NARPO, member services 30 Police Insure, motor, home and 34 First Call Financial, independent motorcycle insurance mortgage advice 31 Irwin Mitchell, family law 36 Slater & Gordon, police law www.polfed.org/westmids federation June/July 2019 03 Chair’s introduction We still need more Taser trained officers a threatening situation so it’s understandable that in a routine arming survey carried out by the Police Federation of England and Wales in 2017 82 per cent of In a routine West Midlands officers said they would like to have access to Taser at all times while on arming survey in 2017 duty. At that point, only 15 per cent of our respondents, for whom it was relevant to 82 per cent of West their role, actually had that access. It is perhaps worth noting that in the same Midlands officers said survey less than half (42 per cent) said they were in favour of routine arming, although they would like access 63 per cent said they would be prepared to to Taser at all times carry a firearm at all times while on duty. It would be interesting to see the results while on duty. if this survey was carried out now. While I am sure we would see an increase on that 15 per cent of our officers with access to Taser, I am afraid that number might plateau. The current uplift of Taser trained from the front where the occasion demands. officers will come to end later this year and, Only last week a sergeant based at as I said at the outset, I am pleased at how Stechford was attacked by a deranged man By Rich Cooke, chair of West Midlands Police far we have come. We have kept the focus on armed with a metal bar who was eventually Federation officer safety at a high level in our Force and Tasered. This type of incident where officers I want to ensure that continues. are attacked with weapons is alarmingly y the end of this year just under half But let’s be clear, I won’t be satisfied regular. We all deserve the tools to defend of our front-line officers – and mainly until all our front-line and custody officers ourselves. BPCs – will have been trained and have the opportunity to carry Taser. As the So, I will be continuing to call for an equipped with Taser. recent widely shared video of officers in increased roll-out of Taser until all front-line This represents great progress and I am Wolverhampton, who were being subjected and custody officers have received the pleased, and grateful, with how far we have to a vicious attack from a suspect shows, training and been issued with the devices come in terms of rolling out these devices Taser can prevent far more serious injury and and I strongly believe the Government since they not only enable officers to end a violent incident quickly and safely. should be providing the funding to enable effectively protect the public from However, I don’t only want to see our forces to do this, for the benefit of police potentially dangerous people but also allow front-line PCs equipped with Taser but also officers and the communities they serve. them to protect themselves. their sergeants, inspectors and chief Moving on from Taser, I would just like to Statistics back up our contention that inspectors. We need supervisors fully able to raise awareness of the great pressures Force often just drawing Taser is enough to defuse support their bobbies and genuinely leading CID is under right now. 04 federation June/July 2019 www.polfed.org/westmids and all affected members. I continue to raise this issue at the Federation’s National Council and challenge the current view at every opportunity. But I remain of the view that should the challenge (of which I am a member) succeed, the likelihood is all affected members will benefit although what I would like to see is the Federation nationally try to guarantee this by instituting claims on behalf of all members now. Taser training. Stop and search The department is engaged in short Earlier this year, aiming to empower officers notice changes. Demand is far outstripping Pensions challenge tackling the ever-growing knife crime crisis, supply. The volume of murders, shootings The Government has set aside almost Home Secretary Sajid Javid decided to relax and other serious incidents has continued to £30 billion to cover the potential cost if it is the ‘Best Use of Stop and Search’ protocol, increase. We have 11 unsolved murders from not granted the right to appeal a Court of introduced by Theresa May in 2014, for the past 12 months, including eight which Appeals decision on judges’ and firefighters’ several forces including ours. are gang-related. We also have other very pensions, a decision which could impact on You would be forgiven for thinking chief serious crimes that remain unsolved. police pensions. officers would jump at the chance of once Changes, which will be disruptive and Incidentally, we still don’t know whether again allowing rank and file operational unsettling to officers, are being made in an the Government will be allowed to appeal. officers to use enhanced search powers, effort to make sure we are effectively The background to this is that on 20 known as ‘S60’, dynamically to suppress and servicing critical areas of business. But this December 2018, the Court of Appeal ruled tackle emerging threats of serious violence. will have a knock-on effect on other areas the Government’s transitional pension Sadly, in my opinion, the Force has affecting our service to the wider arrangements offered to some judges and decided it would be altogether safer to retain community.