Colleagues, I hope you are all safe and well and have had a good start to the year. Here is this month’s blog, which I hope you find useful.
All Saints School
The tragic news of the loss of an innocent young life at All Saints School in Sheffield will have impacted many of us - another senseless and needless loss. Harvey Willgoose had his whole life ahead of him. I’m sure I’m not the only one who longs for the day when we don’t have to worry about sending our kids to school, somewhere that should be a safe place for them. Our country must do more. We have to do better.
Many may not know that our officers were the first on the scene at this incident. I can’t begin to imagine what was going through their minds as they assessed what was in front of them. Incidents like this can have a lasting impact, and it’s so important that we look after our own and ensure we are adequately supported.
This is a job like no other, and everyone, from politicians to the public, must appreciate what we do more.
The thoughts and prayers of all at this Federation are with Harry's family, friends, loved ones and all those who witnessed this.
Vetting
The recent High Court ruling on vetting will understandably prompt questions from our members.
Our position is clear - it is crucial that vetting is no longer dealt with by guidance but by legislation that all in policing must adhere to.
As a staff association, the Federation is a support organisation. Our role is not about determining guilt. We are here to ensure that all members - victims, witnesses, or colleagues accused of wrongdoing - are treated fairly and can have confidence that their concerns or actions are investigated thoroughly.
Those who breach the high standards of professional behaviour set out in the Police Regulations must be dealt with swiftly and given an opportunity to admit, deny, or mitigate their actions. They should be sanctioned accordingly if they are found guilty after a due and fair process.
These same regulations allow for an appeal in disputes regarding proceedings, sanctions, or evidence. They also ensure that officers who have gone about doing their job are protected from malicious complaints.
Vetting ensures that the public and the police service can trust those who carry a warrant card or work within policing. As a Federation, we understand the importance of vetting and re-vetting throughout someone’s career. Where there is a likelihood of someone’s vetting being removed, rules and regulations must be followed.
The new Vetting APP issued by the College of Policing is simply guidance; it is not written in legislation and, therefore, is not covered by the Police (Conduct and Performance) Regulations. Given the protections these regulations afford all parties, we believe there should be a set of police regulations covering vetting in line with the Conduct, Complaints, Performance, and Attendance Regulations that all officers and staff adhere to.
Before this High Court ruling, this Federation wrote to the chair of the BTPA, encouraging our force to ensure a proactive and engaging process that was fair for all and within a legislative framework. I look forward to hearing from them and working with them accordingly.
However, we don’t have enough information to comment on individual cases at this stage.
Budget Challenges
I make no apologies for yet again mentioning the budget challenges facing the Force and its members. Uncertainty continues to grow, and with that, so does the rumour mill. We appreciate that getting where we need to be regarding the budget is a mammoth task, and we continue to encourage the BTPA and the Force to bring greater clarity to proceedings.
The officers of BTP are proud. They are proud to serve their force and keep the public safe. We can’t forget that. We also can’t underestimate the impact this has on them. Continual uncertainty about office closures, worries about relocation, and the effect that has on them and their families prompt frequent questions to our Fed reps. We can’t answer them yet as we don’t know.
Please be assured that we will engage with you all where we can.
These current budget issues have prompted me to reflect on previous times. We know that everything must evolve, and I’m a huge advocate of evolution and the need to move forward. If we don’t, we get left behind.
I can’t be the only one, I’m sure, who is frustrated by being hamstrung by spreadsheets and political influences. Growing up, I thought of policing as very simple: We locked up those who needed to be locked up, and put the figurative arm around the shoulder and supported those who needed help.
These are fundamental principles that we sadly seem to have lost. Am I alone in thinking this?
Royal Cypher and Crest
The Force is currently looking at options for changing our crest and new Royal Cypher, which is done in connection with changing our monarch. Whilst this may seem minor in detail, it is significant in terms of what it stands for and represents.
However, it also has a cost. I was kindly invited to a working group meeting about this and pointed out that when we are under such scrutiny as the Force in terms of budget cuts and savings, spending significant sums on changing all the crests within the Force, uniforms, vehicles, warrant cards, offices, etc., doesn’t seem an appropriate use of funds.
I support the recommendation by ACC O'Callaghan, who suggested that the above changes be made on an ‘as and when’ basis, replacing items and garments when required.
Aston Villa vs Celtic
It’s not lost on me that our Force has challenging events every week. Football can be particularly demanding, and none more so than the recent Champions League fixture between Aston Villa and Celtic.
Whilst I find it quite frankly pathetic that even in this day and age, we have ‘fans’ intent on causing disorder at these matches, it always serves as a reminder of how good we are as a force. Please make no mistake; we should have no imposter syndrome. We are as good as any force in the country, and policing events like this exemplify this. Our officers in C Division who worked on this event, ably supported by other divisions, deserve massive credit for dealing with this disorder.
Whilst these incidents shouldn’t happen, what should happen is us shining a light on the excellent work we carry out. To my colleagues who dealt with this incident and to those who suffered injuries, I hope that you are on the mend. Thank you for helping keep us all safe at these events.
Welfare Vehicle
It feels like such a long time ago that I first updated you on purchasing a Federation welfare vehicle. Things like this never move quickly, and I must confess that I’m personally frustrated that we don’t have the vehicle yet. I had wanted it on the road and visiting offices up and down the Force by now. Perhaps I need to work on my patience - I’m sure my family will agree!
However, I am pleased to report that we have now taken the vehicle into our possession. It’s currently with the converters, and I’ve been assured it will be with us shortly.
Plans are already in place for the remainder of this year. As previously discussed, this vehicle will be able to attend major incidents and events and carry out roadshows and events near you with the support of our member services. I’ve always said that it’s vital that this Federation feels connected to its members. We can’t be detached, and it’s important to me that we can come to you and hear from you, which can help shape us going forward.
Each area will have a committed point of contact for the vehicle, and we will inform you of who they are. If you have any ideas or suggestions for using the vehicle, please do get in touch. Stay tuned to Fed comms as we show you the vehicle coming together and the different stages of the build.
Thank you to those who are aware of this and have shown support for the vehicle. The Force has also been supportive and can see its benefits. That said, it’s another growing frustration that our request for the vehicle to be placed onto the Force’s vehicle insurance hasn’t yet been decided. I do hope that this can be rectified soon.
Awards of Excellence
Another reminder that this year's Awards of Excellence will take place in September. You and your peers have carried out so much incredible work, and this must be celebrated. What you do daily should rightly be recognised and not taken for granted as often can be.
The categories are:
Team of the Year
Cop of the Year
Special of the Year
Detective Investigation of the Year
Chair’s Award
The nominations we have received so far are brilliant; however, we have received fewer nominations than we expected. Over the last year, we have shared many examples of great work on our social media channels, but many of these aren’t reflected in the suggestions we have received.
I will also add that we don’t want you to assume someone else has nominated the person or team you think warrants recognition. We would rather receive several nominations that are similar, than not hear about a deserving candidate at all.
You can read more about what we’re looking for and find the short nomination form here.
Member Services
We have just issued the second edition of our member services round-up. Hopefully, it’s useful to receive all the current offers, updates, and deals in one go, directly in your inbox. We’re trialling this approach, so we will ask you for feedback soon.
The Police Insure prize draw is featured on the front cover. There’s still time to enter and be in with a chance to win a very fancy meal for two at Aqua Shard. The odds are in your favour because this draw is only open to BTP colleagues. Follow this link to enter.
Thank you all for reading this blog. I hope that you have found it helpful.
Stay safe, and as always, if you have any queries or concerns to raise with your Federation, please find your local reps here.
All the best
Stu
Stuart Cowan - Chair of BTP Federation