Federation April/May 2018
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federationWest Midlands Police Federation April/May 2018 Diamond Awards winner www.westmidspolfed.com “Quality Insurance at Internet Prices!” Save up to 40% on your Insurance, for all serving & retired Police Officers, Specials, Staff and Partners MOTOR INSURANCE HOME INSURANCE MOTORCYCLE INSURANCE Everything Taken Care Of Call 0161 762 4416 NOW! or visit www.policeinsure.co.uk Follow us on: www.facebook.com/PoliceInsure @PoliceInsure Generic A4 Poster (civilian).indd 1 14/07/2014 17:04 “Quality Insurance Welcome Contents Welcome to the April/May 2018 edition of federation - the magazine 04 Chair’s introduction 18 ‘It has to stop’ - Force gets for members of West Midlands Police tough on hate crimes against 06 Federation elections process Federation. staff We are always on the look-out for continues good news stories so please get in at Internet Prices!” 20 Force makes ‘major touch if you have something to share 07 Force selling off stations to with colleagues. It does not have to improvements’ in tackling raise funds to protect the jobs relate to your policing role – though organised crime but is we are definitely interested in hearing of 100 front-line officers about what’s going on around the ‘inadequate’ at protecting the Force. Do you have an interesting 08 Federation frustration at 11th vulnerable hobby or perhaps you are involved in hour delay with pursuits bill Save up to 40% on your Insurance, for all serving sport locally, as a player, a manager, a 23 Roads policing comes under the coach? Just get in touch and let us know. 09 ‘A real and present danger’ spotlight & retired Police Officers, Specials, Staff and Partners We would also be interested to hear what you would like to see featured in 10 Welsh Assembly supports 23 Conference returns to your magazine. assaults bill Birmingham Cover photo: Sergeant Mark Heard (left) is congratulated by John Williams, acting chair of 10 Federation lobbies MPs 24 New and enhanced benefits for West Midlands Police Federation, after winning Group Insurance Scheme the Federation sponsored Police Officer of the Year Award at this year’s Diamond Awards. 11 Spit guards: ‘our officers have a right to be protected’ 27 Cameron’s Coasters go national! Published by: XPR (UK) Ltd 11 Dan returns to work after 27 Federation hosting retirement Editor: John Williams, acting chair horrific injury seminars Deputy editor: Chris Cooper, 12 Officers should have a 3.4 per 28 New dates available for Ben Member services team leader MOTOR INSURANCE [email protected] cent pay rise, says Federation Fund’s seaside holiday home Design and sub-editing: XPR (UK) Ltd 13 ‘This is not finger in the wind 29 Supporting you HOME INSURANCE guess work’ says exasperated Contact us: 30 Inspiring officer still supporting Guardians House, Fed chair 2111 Coventry Road, others despite terminal cancer Sheldon, Birmingham, MOTORCYCLE INSURANCE B26 3EA 13 Whole public sector needs pay diagnosis Telephone: rise 0121 700 1200 31 Here For You: our work in focus Email: 15 Federation rules out further [email protected] 32 Officer welfare workshops legal advice on pensions www.westmidspolfed.com consider demand and capacity Federation is printed by Heron Press UK on 16 National campaign warns of behalf of the Joint Branch Board of the West 33 Help the families of fallen Midlands Police Federation. the crisis in detective policing The articles published do not necessarily reflect officers with COPS fund-raiser the views of the Joint Branch Board. The editor reserves the right to reject or edit any material 16 Honouring our detectives submitted. 35 Making arrangements for your Every care is taken to ensure that advertisements are accepted only from bona 17 Remembering fallen officers children after separation Everything Taken Care Of fide advertisers. The Police Federation cannot accept liability for losses incurred by any person as a result of a default on the part of an advertiser. All material is copyright and may not be Advertisers reproduced without the express permission of the editor. 02 Police Insure 30 NARPO, member services 14 Police Mutual, house and car 31 First Call Financial, independent insurance mortgage advice 22 George Burrows, Federation 33 Warren & Co, independent Call 0161 762 4416 NOW! insurance scheme mortgage advice 26 Police Credit Union 34 Slater & Gordon, family law or visit www.policeinsure.co.uk 28 Gorvins, family law 36 Slater & Gordon, police law Follow us on: www.facebook.com/PoliceInsure @PoliceInsure www.westmidspolfed.com federation April/May 2018 03 Generic A4 Poster (civilian).indd 1 14/07/2014 17:04 Chair’s introduction A new role, similar challenges By John Williams, acting chair of West conference in 2014 and put forward the we have taken on board that ethos and Midlands Police Federation motion that led to delegates voting to have made changes within the Federation support all 36 recommendations in the office to ensure that we are working elcome to this, my first independent review. It was a real moment efficiently and making the best use of magazine column as acting in history. Tom was speaking for our Board members’ money. Wchair of West Midlands Police and was an excellent leader at a time While the Federation has been tied up Federation. when the Federation appeared to be in putting its own house in order there I want to start by saying how proud I floundering. We wish Tom a long, happy has, of course, been no let-up in am to have taken up this role. I am and restful retirement. Meanwhile, I will developments around the wider police committed to serving the interests of the be trying to continue where he left off. service. The cuts to police budgets are Federated officers who, in turn, serve our We are, I hope, at the dawn of a new certainly having the consequences we communities and will, at all times, do my era for the Police Federation of England predicted. Rising crime is definitely an very best to represent them. and Wales. The new regulations issue, as is the health and wellbeing of Before sharing with you some of my necessitated by proposals from the police officers who, despite seeing their thoughts on policing and the Federation, independent review were finally enshrined numbers plummet, put themselves under nationally and locally, it would be remiss in legislation just before Christmas 2017 pressure to maintain an effective police of me not to acknowledge the and we are now midway through the service for the communities they serve. outstanding work carried out by my election process that should see us be The Federation said many years ago predecessor, Tom Cuddeford. more representative of the membership, that enough was enough and it was time Tom retired in the first week of April more effective and more efficient. to re-invest in policing. Its pleas fell on and is now planning to take a well-earned The fundamental aim of the review deaf ears then and continue to do so now. rest after leading the Federation for two was to make the Federation truly fit for Last year, in the wake of the terrorist years, a period of immense change and purpose; something we owed to the atrocities in London and Manchester, we considerable challenges. Tom has been a membership. Here in the West Midlands, heard politicians singing police officers’ fantastic ambassador for West Midlands Police Federation and has always put the I am committed to serving the welfare, health and wellbeing of the membership to the fore. He has worked interests of the Federated officers“ incredibly hard on members’ behalf, giving them his all and putting his heart and who, in turn, serve our communities soul into representing them locally, regionally and nationally. His Federation and will, at all times, do my very career, just like his policing career, has “ been exemplary and it’s hard to pick a best to represent them. highlight but let’s not forget it was Tom who stood up at the Police Federation 04 federation April/May 2018 www.westmidspolfed.com praises but we didn’t really see actions to follow their words. The Prime Minister announced an uplift in armed officers and yet I read just a week or so ago that the IN NUMBERS: number of officers putting themselves forward to carry firearms had not reached the level Theresa May had set. One reason suggested in the media for this shortfall Workplace representatives voted in after West was the way these officers are treated by Midlands Police Federation elections the Independent Office for Police Conduct 58 (formerly the IPCC) should they discharge their weapons. But it’s not just the investment in the police service itself that is needed. It is also time police officers were given a pay Police buildings being sold off by Force as it rise. The Federation has once again joined 24 strives to balance the book forces with the Superintendents’ Association to make its submission to the Police Remuneration Review Body (PRRB). In an evidence-based report, we are calling for a 3.4 per cent pay rise. We can only The number of years the Federation has wait to see how the PRRB responds and, been seeking a change in legislation to crucially, it then all hinges on how the 7 better protect response drivers Government reacts since last year it ignored the independent review body that it had established, making a complete mockery of the process. Of course, away from financial The date in April when the ‘assaults bill’ is matters, the day to day issues police 27 scheduled for its third reading in Parliament officers face continue to present their own challenges.