- Conference
- 2021 Police and Justice Conference
- Date
- 22 June 2021
- Decision
- Carried
The Police and Justice Service Group and our communities were pleased to hear that the Government has started the programme to increase police officer numbers, however, the 20,000 new officers don’t replace the officers that were lost under Tory Government austerity cuts.
The Government don’t appear to have recognised that there are several thousand police staff roles performed within policing, these numbers have also been cut – valuable roles that support the officers and our communities. Police Community Support Officer numbers have been slashed and, in some forces, totally eradicated – who are the eyes and ears of our communities now? – not police officers.
Despite the 20,000 increase in officers not many of these will be seen walking the beat or in our communities – giving our communities reassurance and a presence to deal with anti-social behaviour – no, some of these officers are being placed into police staff roles – police staff who are being made redundant to allow the officers to carry out police staff roles.
Surely this is not what the intention of the Government increase in officers is for? Why increase officer numbers to only have them sat in offices performing roles that don’t require warranted powers?
UNISON branches have challenged and raised concerns with their forces over these actions and are being told the force doesn’t have anywhere else to put the new officers – is that an acceptable response?
Our communities are not always aware of the number of vital police functions that are actually carried out by police staff and not officers – they are unaware that from the first point of contact via telephone is with police staff, the forensic gathering is police staff, an investigator may also be police staff, detention officers are police staff, victim care is provided by police staff, and many more roles involved in the reporting, investigating and supporting victims and witnesses are police staff. In fact, in some cases the only interaction they may have with a police officer is when they arrest a suspect – it is highly probable that there is no further police officer involvement at all.
Conference calls on the Service Group Executive to:
1)Work with branches to defend police staff roles and prevent the loss of police staff in favour of officers.
2)Assist branches in raising the profile of police staff with forces and the community.
3)Run a national campaign promoting the importance of police staff roles.