Staffordshire police officers facing fight to keep jobs
POLICE in Staffordshire are opposing new plans which will allow officers to be made redundant.
Chief constables will be given the powers to remove frontline officers to help balance the books under controversial Government reforms.
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Officers are currently protected by law from redundancy but can be forced to retire after 30 years under the A19 rule.
Staffordshire Police Federation today warned the measures threaten to 'change the status of officers in society'.
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The Federation, which represents constables, sergeants and inspectors, said measures tabled in the second part of the Winsor report will add to increasing soaring stress levels and affect morale.
It comes as new Home Office figures show officer numbers in Staffordshire have fallen to 1,948, down from 2,219 at the end of 2009, as a result of forced retirements and a recruitment freeze.
The force has the tenth fewest number of officers in the country per population with 182 for each 100,000 people in the county and the number of officers aged under 25 has fallen to a record low of 17.
Staffordshire Police Federation secretary Dean Colley, a police constable with 28 years' experience, said: "We have major concerns. It will permanently change the role and status of police officers in society.
"As a federation our main concern is the effect of the changes and the demands being placed on our individual officers.
"By 2015, because of the impact of the comprehensive spending review, we will be down to 1,750 officers.
"You cannot tell me that we can deliver the same service to the public with 1,750 as we did with 2,200 officers, but the demand from the public is no less."
Other proposals in the second part of Tom Winsor's national review of police pay and conditions include compulsory fitness tests and recruitment of non-officers directly into higher ranks without the traditional stint as a beat officer.
In November, a police and crime commissioner will be elected to oversee the force's budget and policies in place of the scrapped police authority.
The commissioner will be able to lobby Chief Constable Mike Cunningham to avoid enforcing the new powers – even if they are approved at national level.
Labour's candidate, city councillor Joy Garner, said: "I have a lot of sympathy with how the police are feeling. There are such big cuts and big changes and they don't feel like they are being listened to.
"The reason they can't be made redundant at the moment is because they take an oath to the Queen and in fact agree to work half an hour for free each every day as part of the service.
"Being able to make them redundant would make them more vulnerable and change the whole contract of how they work for the people."
County councillor Matthew Ellis, who will represent the Conservatives in the election, was unavailable for comment.
The police federation is now in a standoff with the Government over the proposals.
A special tribunal will assess the dispute and make a decision in the autumn -although Home Secretary Teresa May retains the power disregard its findings.
Comments
by YourUsername
Friday, August 10 2012, 7:22PM
“You would think with the vast archive of photos at the Sentinel's disposal they would at least put pictures of Staffordshire Officers.
Also why won't one of the 43 chief Constables just tell the truth these cuts will eventually have a effect on frontline policing .”
by P1DEANO
Friday, August 10 2012, 4:36PM
“Don't those Police helmets look like a German Pickelhaube - fascism is rising!”
by P1DEANO
Friday, August 10 2012, 10:16AM
“Meanwhile we give Al Quaida is given £5m http://tinyurl.com/cuorbna”
by truestokie
Friday, August 10 2012, 9:23AM
“The way things are going this PCC election will bring nothing but trouble.
When politicians get involved with the police, corruption usualy follows.
How can any politician that supports a violent organisation like the UAF possibly be involved in matters concerning law and order?
How can the the police afford a PCC of £75,000 plus expenses (which the successful candidate will no dought get their noses well in that trough) when they cry poverty every year.”
by mediamaniaX
Thursday, August 09 2012, 10:11PM
“I really do dread to think what this country will look like in 20 years. People who moan about the police now will not know what's hit them! Modern day policing is extremely complex and not just about the girls & boys in blue. If these reforms go ahead, forces will struggle to retain the highly skilled, dedicated & mostly professional workforce they currently have. To be a police officer, will be like many other revolving door occupations. Standards will drop & the 25year old Superintendent with 18months college experience won't have the plods or the experience to deal with the many life changing incidents that occur daily.
Bucknallmel - I believe the wage packet alone is 75,000 per year for each PCC! That's before the campaigns, votes, cars etc etc etc etc”
by yamahaman
Thursday, August 09 2012, 6:43PM
“The appointment of Tom Winsor as HMIC is little short of a joke, how can someone who was overseeing the rail network suddenly become the fountain of knowledge for police matters, with him as the HMIC and the other wanabees as the crime commisoners ,I fear the worse is yet to come. I take it that if they loose the status as officers of the crown and become employees they will then have the right of all employees ,that is to strike.
Jabba the hut, Lord Prestcott is one of the hangers on ,wishing to become a crime commisioner, yes that Lord Prescott who said he would never enter the house of Lords.... Thank god he is standing in Hull not here, but what are we to get ???
The police service along with nursing, teaching,and other public services has been turned into a managment game, the worry is the managers have have no idea of operational matters, treat staff and the public like they are playing a game of monopoly.
Police officers need the support of the wider public, its clear they are not getting it from within the ranks of Chief Officers.”
by thomasthedog
Thursday, August 09 2012, 6:04PM
“This goverment should hang there heads in shame,these front line officers need all the help they can get,"THEY DESERVE IT"”
by truestokie
Thursday, August 09 2012, 1:39PM
“Labour's candidate, city councillor Joy Garner, said: "I have a lot of sympathy with how the police are feeling. There are such big cuts and big changes and they don't feel like they are being listened to.
What makes the people of this city different to the police then?”
by BucknallMel
Thursday, August 09 2012, 12:14PM
“And how much money will be spent on Crime Commissioner's paypackets, offices, support staff and cars which could have gone on front line officers? Come to that, I'd like to know what the force has spent in the last five years on cars for officers who don't go out on patrol (like the Chief Constable, for example), office refurbishments and wages for 'specialist' officers who don't actually do policing but sit around sending emails to working officers about issues which are supposed to be covered in basic training. Any of those about to lose their jobs?”