What about Police Staff?

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Conference
2019 Police & Justice Service Group Conference
Date
29 August 2019
Decision
Carried

Conference is well aware that when Boris Johnson became Prime Minister on the 23rd July 2019 there would be grand gestures? One of his first was to announce in his maiden speech at the dispatch box in Prime Ministers Questions, that he was a going to recruit 20,000 Police Officers in order to bring the numbers back to what they were 10 years ago? We all know it would take more than 20,000 to do that?

This conference is extremely concerned that within this announcement there was a gapping black hole in relation to Police Staff? Police Staff who provide all the support services to officers, both front-line and the so called ‘back-office’, Police Staff whose numbers have declined by 18,000+ and who have also taken the brunt of the cuts to police funding, roles lost across all functions performed, with PCSO’s lost in their hundreds!

This announcement came with no detail on how it will be funded, with no infrastructure on who will run recruitment processes, vetting processes, health assessments, put case files together given the cuts to police staff numbers. All of which support this recruitment of police officers. No detail on where these officers will be housed given the number of stations that have closed to meet the cuts, how the funding will be found for officers kit, extra vehicles the list goes on…… Could it be that this maybe at the cost of even more Police Staff jobs?

Conference maybe aware that since the Prime Ministers announcement he has set up a high level Policing Board, comprising of himself, the Home Secretary, Chair of the Police Chiefs Council, CEO of the College of Policing, Chair of the Police and Crime Commissioners, Head of HMIC and the Policing Minister. Who in this group will speak up for us? Where is the representation of Trade Unions and Staff Associations?

Police Staff not only underpin the services provided to officers and communities, they are critical to ensure that forces across the country continue to provide the vital security and safety to all their communities. Police Staff are the life blood of the police service without which forces would fall over? Police Staff need the reassurance that their numbers will not be cut, but that they will grow, Police Staff need and must have a voice!

We ask the Service Group Executive to:

1. Work with the National Police Sector Committee so that discussions can take place within the Police Staff Council with employers and particularly the Home Office representatives on what growth opportunities there will be for Police Staff, and what infrastructure discussions are taking place.

2. Work with the Labour Police and Crime Commissioners Group (PCC) to ensure that Police Staff roles are considered at every stage.

3. Survey all Police Branches as to what work is being undertaken in their forces and how it is being funded and what is the likely impact on Police Staff?

4. Provide a model letter for Police Branches for Chief Constables and PCCs asking serious questions on how they will meet this challenge.

5. Seek an urgent meeting with the Shadow Home Secretary and the Shadow Policing Minister through Labour Link to put our concerns to them.

6. Raise our concerns with the Police Chiefs Council and the National Association of Police and Crime Commissioners.