The Police Federation of England & Wales www.polfed.org FebruaryPOLICE / March 2019 Without legislation changes, police drivers remain at risk Leading barrister tells Roads Policing Conference that despite Government assurances, officers in pursuits still have little protection Editor: Catherine Feast February / March – in this issue: Federation House, POLICE Highbury Drive, Leatherhead, NEWS & COMMENT Surrey, KT22 7UY Tel: 01372 352000 5 Editorial P8 Court of Appeal backs public sector pensions claim Designer: Keith Potter 6 View from the chair: John Apter focuses on the real reasons why the Federation is so vital Advertising agents: Richard Place 6-9 Roads Policing Conference Chestnut Media Warm words ‘mean nothing’ without law change Tel: 01271 324748 Chief’s vision for ‘safest roads in the world’ 07962 370808 Repeated exposure to trauma can ‘seriously impact’ Email: on officers’ mental health [email protected] 10 The Duty Officer: Our newest columnist warns that while Every care is taken to ensure Taser may not be perfect, it is a vital piece of kit that advertisements are accepted only from bona fide advertisers. 11 Discipline reforms move focus on to performance The Police Federation cannot 13 Ministers should ‘hang heads in shame’ over mental health accept any liability for losses Making the public pay more for policing is ‘blatantly unfair’ incurred by any person as a 14 result of a default on the part of 15 New research shows confidence in police is increasing P15 an advertiser. 17 The town where ‘police don’t come out’ is a stark reminder The views expressed within 20 PFEW challenges research assumptions on Taser the magazine are not necessarily the views of the National Board of 21 Plans to tackle knife crime are ‘simply tinkering’ with issue the Police Federation of England 23 Latest explosion in violent crime is ‘terrifying picture’ and Wales. for communities National Chair 24 Police officers recognised in New Year’s Honours John Apter 25 Custody visit designed to build bridges with IOPC National Secretary P25 Alex Duncan 28 Getting members involved through FedCasts National Treasurer Tim Packham National Vice-Chair Ché Donald FEATURES Deputy National Secretary 26 Bouncing back: how ADHD nearly wrecked an John Partington officer’s career and home life Federation Rep Kaj Bartlett is raising awareness of Deputy National Treasurer Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) Simon Kempton after a lifelong struggle with the condition which P26 almost destroyed her life. © The Police Federation 2019 Reproduction strictly forbidden unless by prior arrangement with the publishers. REGULARS 31 Ask the Experts Cover picture: Peter Anderson Photography 32 Members’ Benefits 35 PC Bobbi Yarns: Police magazine’s newest columnist highlights the frustrations of 21st century British policing Nick O’Time POLICE February / March 2019 3 NEWS n Editorial February / March 2019 Appeal Court ruling on public sector pensions Catherine Feast, The Police Federation of England and obtained our initial legal advice some Editor Wales (PFEW) is awaiting further legal five years ago. There have been previous advice regarding challenges by judges requests for our legal advice to be Take time to ask and firefighters about their pensions shared publicly; however, our view has Since the last edition I have been deeply schemes, following a Court of Appeal been that it could be unhelpful to those saddened to read about several officers ruling in December that Government engaged in the current challenge, and who have taken their own lives. changes made to those pensions were could, at any stage, undermine their I cannot begin to imagine how isolated discriminatory on the grounds of age. position or our own. they must have been feeling, to end their For judges, the changes were also “We have closely monitored the life rather than go on with the pain and deemed discriminatory on the basis of developments within the cases lodged hell they were dealing with, and how race and equal pay, as drives to increase by the judges, firefighters and our terribly sad it is for all those involved. diversity mean many more younger colleagues represented by Leigh Day, It took me back to when I was a judges are female and/or from a Black, and at every stage we’ve stated that we commuter travelling daily into London. Asian and minority ethnic background. would review our position dependent on On a fairly regular basis there would be The cases were brought due to changes developments.” delays due to an incident on the line – made to public sector pensions in 2015, As a result of this ruling we will be more often than not a suicide. which also affect police officers. obtaining further legal advice, not I used to sit and listen to the moans PFEW National Secretary Alex Duncan least in light of the Government’s from fellow passengers about the said the judgement was “lengthy and announcement on the pension cost delays to their journey and the complex” but was a “positive outcome cap (see p14) as well as incorporating a inconvenience they were then for those engaged in the process”. thorough review of the arguments put going to be going through; a missed “The difficulty is determining what forward within the Court of Appeal. appointment, a late meeting. a positive outcome means for our It will also include advice from our How I despised every part of their members and those officers engaged pensions specialists, allowing us to conversations. Not once did I hear with Leigh Day solicitors,” he said. better understand what this means for anyone say how terrible it was; how “Furthermore, within the ruling, there’s members and how best to represent horrific that a human being would rather reference made to other rulings which them moving forward. throw themselves beneath a train in have been decided upon since we order to die than to carry on living. I thought of those poor family members who would be receiving the awful news Firearms review misses target and how hard that must be to process. No-one can ever want someone else to A long-awaited Home Office review National Vice-Chair Ché Donald said the think their only option is to die and that intended to examine whether firearms review was “shambolic”, describing it as a there are no other choices. officers had enough protection to carry “sorry and disappointing post-script to a With the ever-growing reports of out their jobs has failed to hit the mark. long, flawed and drawn out process”. mental health affecting society as Ordered by then Prime Minster, David “It blithely states that ‘the right and a whole, it is inevitable that officers Cameron, in December 2015, it barely legal protections are in place for officers’ are suffering too. Work stress adds to scratches the surface, with just over 300 and that ‘in a great majority of incidents feelings of not being able to cope and as words given to the subject. The rest of the officers were dealt with as witnesses officers it is extra difficult when society document is taken up with confirmation rather than suspects’,” said Mr Donald. “I looks to you to solve every problem. that the police watchdog’s post-incident actually think the Home Office just forgot Mental health will continue to be in the guidance for firearms (announced in about the review. That’s cold comfort for headlines until successful strategies are October) is now law, and a link to revised officers out there doing the job, knowing found to deal with this escalating issue. Crown Prosecution Service guidance on that if they are forced to pull the trigger But we can all play a part. A bit prosecutions of police officers. their lives will probably be overturned of human compassion is free. Listening The report was meant to be a while they are under investigation, often is free. Take time to ask and look meaningful review to allay firearms for years. out for each other. It might be the officers’ fears over inadequate protection, “Where’s the evidence to show this lifeline needed. and the prospect of being treated as has been looked into diligently, as we Follow the Federation @pfew_hq suspects just for doing their job. But would expect for such a responsible role? Police Federation of England and Wales Because it’s certainly not in this review.” POLICE February / March 2019 5 n ROADS POLICING CONFERENCE View from the chair Warm words ‘mean nothing’ without law change Home Office reassurances that police John Apter, officers will not be prosecuted for National Chair, pursuit drives “mean nothing” in reality, a legal expert has told delegates at this Police Federation year’s Roads Policing Conference. Barrister Mark Aldred, from QEB Hollis The real reason Whiteman, touched on his first-hand experience of representing officers who we are here... have fallen foul of the law in a lively talk It’s good to see that the recent report at the event in Hinckley, Leicestershire. by Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Under existing legislation emergency Constabulary, Fire and Rescue Services responders who drive outside of showed public confidence in the police the careful and competent driver legal service is increasing. This is despite the standard can be jailed for dangerous fact that the service has lost almost driving. In addition the police could 22,000 officers since 2010. be subjected to gross misconduct Officers do all they can to provide proceedings. the best possible service, but the Barrister Mark Aldred warned public are no fools, and consequences Painfully slow that Government assurances for of the cuts are increasingly evident. The Police Federation of England and police drivers were worthless They deserve better, but to do so we Wales (PFEW) has been campaigning for without changes to legislation need an immediate and significant, seven years to bring about a change in centrally funded investment from the legislation, and despite support from probably doesn’t feel the need or the Government.