The ultimate sacrifice - Dorset Policedorset.polfed.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/PoliceMag_2013_10... · The ultimate sacrifice Tributes to fallen officers at National Police Memorial

POLICEThe Police Federation of England & Wales www.polfed.org

October 2013

The ultimate sacrificeTributes to fallen officers at National Police Memorial Day•Police leaders debate future of the service at conference fringe events

#itswhatwedo

20 POLICE September 2013 www.polfed.org

News & Comment

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Editor:Syreeta LundDesigner:Keith Potter

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www.polfed.org October 2013 POLICE 13

POLICE October 2013 – in this issue:

News reports by Syreeta Lund & Richard Pain

5............EditorialSenior officers still clinging to target culture

6............View from the chair: Steve Williams reflects on everyday bravery and the ultimate sacrifice

Labour fringe debates impact of redundancy

7............Tory fringe hears service is ‘overstretched’

8............Local Focus: Jon Christopher, chair of West Yorkshire Police Federation

Chair tells conference integrity is crucial

9............Detectives say cuts have damaged service to public

10..........The Station Sergeant is... off to sunny Spain10-12....National Custody Seminar:

ACPO lead backs call for mental health changes

Officers could face fines for evidence delays

Legislation changes mean interpreter costs rise

14-15....National Police Memorial Day

13..........Dogberry: the lighter side of policing

24..........Members’ benefits

26..........View from the sidelines: Clive Chamberlain, chair of Dorset Police Federation, takes a different look at life

Nick O’Time cartoon

27..........Sudoku

17..........Out of the shadowsHigh-profile cases involving ‘Twitter trolls’ have shed the spotlight on the issue of stalking – particularly online – but are officers aware of what to do when someone makes a complaint of this kind? Syreeta Lund writes

20..........The blue burnCan the service deal with officer burnout as we see a 14,000 drop in numbers and increased pressures? Mike Adams looks at risk factors and argues the service should be supporting those affected.

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Cover image: Peter Anderson

40 POLICE October 2013 www.polfed.org

News & Comment

Senior officers stillclinging to ‘securityblanket’ of targets

The government has announced direct entry into seniorranks of the police service. Damian Green, minister forpolicing, has hailed the move as a way of opening up thepolice to those from other professions – bringing in newskills and fresh blood, to what he terms a ‘closed shop’.

There is a vast array of talent and skills outside the worldof policing, but surely there is lots of talent inside too? It’snot an island away from other professions. A lot of officersjoin with good degrees, and there are some who don’t butare equally talented and would make incredible leaders.

I have heard much about encouraging the ‘brightest andbest’ into policing, tying it into formal education. Exams

and a good education areimportant but so isexperience. This term hasbeen used to comparepolicing with the legalprofession, and while thereare many ‘bright’, talentedpeople in that arena, thereare also those so out oftouch with real life that thedecisions they make have tobe brought into question bythe wider public – those on

the ‘shop floor’ of life one might say.Diversity at the top of an organisation is a positive move,

but why can’t it be done by encouraging more of thosecoming in and fast-tracking them, rather than parachutingin someone who has overseen military operations inAfghanistan or a senior officer from a foreign force?

The intense training offered to direct entry candidateswill prepare them to an extent, but can it ever be asubstitute for that real experience that cops gain incommunity policing, dealing with a family after they havelost a loved one or directing a firearms operation?

Our model of policing by consent is admired around theworld and, I believe, part of the reason for this is thatsome fundamental Peelian principles have not changed.He believed in policing by the people for the people sohopefully this will still inform those who become seniorleaders – let’s not replace a closed shop with anotherelitist, inexperienced, cadre replicating an officer class.

Senior officers need to dropthe “security blanket” oftargets and become the maindrivers of change in the policeservice, according to theHome Secretary.

At the Superintendents’Association Conference inWarwickshire last month, Ms May said that despitegovernment moves to freeofficers from bureaucracy andtargets, some senior officerswere still clinging on to them.

“We have cut the uselessbureaucracy that turnedofficers into form-fillersrather than crime fighters. We have given you thefreedom to make your owndecisions and to follow yourown crime-fighting policies.

“It is essential that you passthis down the chain ofcommand. You need to trustyour junior officers to usetheir own judgement, just as I trust you. Having freedommeans taking responsibility.It’s down to you to decidewhat crime-fighting policiesyou’re going to follow,” MsMay told around 250 seniorofficers at the conference.

The government has cut theamount of targets for forcesbut Ms May said that targetswere making a comeback sosenior officers could “avoidresponsibility for makingdecisions”. She added thatsuperintendents would be the main drivers of change ina period of police reform andcould no longer “tick boxes”to prove they were doing theright thing.

www.polfed.org

Home Secretary urges leaders to trust officers

October 2013 POLICE 15

Let’s hope weget some ‘topclass’ leaders

Editorial, October 2013Syreeta Lund, Editor

“The trainingfor direct entrycandidates willprepare them toan extent, butcan it ever be asubstitute forexperience?”

Forces have seen cuts of14,000 officers since April2010, with 400 fewer in thesuperintendent ranks; theSuperintendents’ Associationhas found evidence of officersgoing off sick with stress-related illness.

She told the conference:“Your jobs have got bigger,your workloads haveincreased. We know from ourresilience survey what animpact that has on people likeyou and our members.”

Neighbourhood policingwas also suffering, said MsCurtis, and added some teamswere now virtually exclusivelystaffed by PCSOs. A report byHer Majesty’s Inspectorate ofConstabulary, published inJuly, also highlighted thatbudget cuts were ‘eroding’neighbourhood policing asofficers were switched tobolster other areas.

Follow me on Twitter @SyreetaLund

“You need totrust your juniorofficers to usetheir judgement,just as I trust you.Having freedommeans takingresponsibility.”

Irene Curtis, president of theSuperintendents’ Association,in her keynote address to theconference, said that seniorleaders and the police servicein general were being asked todo more for less.

News & Comment: Party Conferences


There have been many occasions during the first tenmonths of my chairmanship when I have felt truly humbledby the actions and dedication of the officers I am so proudto represent, but probably none more so than during therecent National Police Memorial Day and again at thePolice Bravery Awards.

The award nominations highlight once again what wealready knew; that policing is an extremely dangerous joband officers leave home every day with no idea of whatthreat or challenge they may face.

The nominations also emphasise how policing is aboutfar more than just dealing with and preventing crime. Theyinclude instances where officers have rescued members ofthe public from burning buildings or vehicles, dived into

deadly waters andpulled motorists fromflooded cars. Theyhave been injured ingas explosions andprevented peoplesuffering from mentalillness from harmingthemselves or others.

None of the above is reflected in anyfigures. Yet on everyoccasion it was thepolice who were firston the scene.

Of course, many of nominations relate directly tocriminality. Officers have instinctively and with nohesitation tackled an array of dangerous criminals armedwith, among other weapons, knives, axes and guns. Manyof these acts of heroism have taken place when the officerwas off-duty and, in one such case, ended with the officerlosing their life while protecting the public.

More often than not the nominated officer will say “I wasjust doing my job”. We find it difficult to accept praise andwe certainly don’t sign up for the accolades. It’s importantthough that we do take the time to recognise and celebratethe outstanding dedication, commitment and selflessnessshown by officers throughout England and Wales.

The awards are not just a celebration of 64 exceptionalacts of bravery featured on the evening, but of thecountless others that go unmentioned every single day.

Two eventsthat are trulyhumbling

View from the chair – Steve Williams,chair of the Police Federation

“Many acts ofheroism have takenplace when theofficer was off-dutyand, in one case,ended with theofficer losing theirlife while protectingthe public.”

change to the basicunderpinnings of modernBritish policing”. “It is vital that the operationalindependence of officers ismaintained and that theyremain accountable to the lawand the law alone,” he said. “The threat of redundancy by senior officers can createperverse incentives whichthreaten to undermine thatoperational independence.”

President of the PoliceSuperintendents’ AssociationIrene Curtis said the publicwere not aware of theconsequences of compulsoryseverance and how it could affect officers’ decision-making.

Sir Hugh had told the event:“The view of ACPO is it’s anecessary evil that will notneed to be deployed in theforeseeable future. It would be deployed if budget cutswere so extreme that thatthere’s no other option.”

The Police ArbitrationTribunal (PAT) will make adecision in November on thepossible introduction ofcompulsory severance.

Picture: A

ndrew W

iard

Severance would threaten independence

Shadow Home Secretary YvetteCooper at the Fringe event

Senior police officers andpoliticians voiced theirconcerns over the possibleintroduction of compulsoryseverance at the annualLabour Party Conference.

Speaking at the PolicingFringe event in Brighton,Shadow Home SecretaryYvette Cooper said she was “deeply concerned” about the prospect of chiefconstables being able to makeofficers redundant.

Sir Hugh Orde, president of the Association of ChiefPolice Officers (ACPO), saidhe only envisaged compulsoryseverance being deployed ifthere was “no other option”.

However, Ms Cooper said:“My fear is that governmentwant to introduce it exactlybecause they’re planning forthose extreme circumstancesand they’re preparing foranother round of damagingspending cuts.”

A recommendation of theWinsor Report, compulsoryseverance would give chiefconstables the ability to makeofficers redundant beforecompletion of their 30 years’service. The Police Federation insists this would wipe out the independence of officers,who could find themselvesfacing political pressure andfearful that any decision could later be held againstthem and mark them out forforced redundancy.

Steve Williams, chair of the Federation, told the eventthat compulsory severancerepresented a “fundamental

Redundancy wouldbe a ‘fundamentalchange’ in policing

News & Comment: Party Conferences


Picture: Terry Kane / Mousetrap M

edia

Service is ‘over-stretched’despite calls for efficiency

Police leaders warn that cuts are already having an impact on service to the public

(left to right) Policing minister Damian Green, ACPO President Sir Hugh Orde and Mark Williams-Thomasat the Conservative Party Conference policing fringe event

Senior police leaders havewarned that the service isalready being stretched amid claims by the policeminister that the next phaseof reforms will mean officersand police staff working even“more efficiently”.

Damian Green, minister ofstate for policing, said thenext phase of reform will be about officers and policestaff doing their jobs “moreefficiently than ever before”, as he spoke at the fringe event on policing at theConservative PartyConference in Manchester.

British policing’s “iconicbrand” of public protectionwhich is famous around the globe, and expressed his concerns to the panel over plans to introducecompulsory severance forpolice officers – effectivelybringing in powers to makeofficers redundant.

He added that it is “vital” that officers remainaccountable to the law andthat compulsory severancewould undermine theoperational independence of police officers.

Key issues of debateincluded privatisation, PCCs, morale, compulsoryseverance, technology andcollaboration between forcesas the 2015 election looms on the horizon.

would be a further efficiencysqueeze. Both Steve Williams,chair of the Police Federationand Irene Curtis, president of the Superintendents’Association, said the cuts arealready impacting on theservice to the public.

Ms Curtis said she fearedpolice chiefs and police and crime commissioners(PCCs) would have somedifficult decisions to make.Some forces had already seen specialist units, such as those who deal withvulnerable victims of childexploitation or domesticabuse, being depleted.

Mr Williams added that the police ‘to-do’ list was“forever growing” andcoupled with reductions toofficer numbers would affect

the service to the public; thegovernment needed to becognisant of that fact.

Delegates heard how thepolicing landscape hadchanged beyond recognitionwith a radical programme of government reforms. Mr Green said there had also been “cultural change” in the service which had been“quite painful”, referring tochanges recommended byTom Winsor’s reportsimpacting on pay, pensionsand conditions of service.

But he said some of thechanges to professionalise the service through theCollege of Policing would put police officers on a“professional par” with others such as lawyers.

Mr Williams spoke of

The event, supported by the Police Federation ofEngland and Wales, theSuperintendents’ Associationand the Association of ChiefPolice Officers, featured MrGreen on a panel discussionabout the future of policing – chaired by former detectiveand campaigning journalistMark Williams-Thomas.

While Mr Green praised the police for doing“tremendously well” tocontinue with the fall in crime under current budgetrestraints, he indicated there

It is vital thatofficers remainaccountable tothe law, andcompulsoryseverance wouldundermineindependence.

News & Comment


Service will fail tofunction withouttrust of the public

Fed chair calls for unity on police integrity

Chair of the Police Federation Steve Williamssays it is crucial that thepublic have faith in theservice, and has warned thatpolicing in Britain could not function without the trust of the public.

Mr Williams was speakingto an audience whichincluded senior officers andacademics at last month’sCapita National PoliceIntegrity Conference in London.

Mr Williams said: “It[integrity] is a matter thatconcerns the Federationgreatly. It is crucial that thepublic have faith in theservice that keeps them safeand secure while helping tomaintain stability in society.Once police integrity starts to be questioned and remainsunchecked then faith in theservice begins to unravel,leading ultimately to a policeservice that can no longerfunction effectively and a society that starts to break down.

“That is why it is soimportant that all members of the policing family jointogether with those who holdpolicing to account and thosewho oversee its governance todo all they can to maintainthe high standards it setsitself, and to share our ideasand examples of best practice.To not shy away from talkingabout the times we get thingswrong, but to see what we can learn from thosesituations so we can get it right in the future.”

“It is crucial that the publichave faith in the service thatkeeps them safe and securewhile helping to maintainstability insociety.”

We as a service have faced a mountain of change overrecent years to which ‘we’ have all adapted and attemptedto make work. It is clear that this government is hell bentupon decimating the police service and it is down to us tocontinue the fight for the rights of all our members the best‘we’ can.

I applaud the Metropolitan Federation for their ‘DO ITRIGHT’ campaign. This has been well received nationallyand, taken up by most if not all, local federations.

‘DO IT RIGHT’ was adopted by ourselves and is regularlyrolled out to our officers as a reminder as to just what theirrights are and what level of protection they are actuallyafforded through police regulations. It is all too easy for a

member to be forced into acorner and be subjected toa form of emotionalblackmail and be told to‘do your bit for the sake ofyour colleagues’.

Usually this forms part ofa request to perform duty at short notice with little orthe incorrect recompense,and with absolutely nothought of an individual’scircumstances or home life. This has become a sad reality for far too manycolleagues in recent timesand falls away from theethos of the all protecting,all understanding police family.

In this day and age the service has a great number ofpeople who seem to agree to waive some of the rights thatwe the Police Federation of England and Wales have foughttooth and nail for in order to achieve a degree of fairnessand common sense for our members. That’s down to theindividual and ‘we’ can only offer advice, such as DO ITRIGHT, and understanding in the hope that the membersfollow that which is offered. PFEW is not a ‘toothless tiger’,‘we’ are listened to and our views and thoughts do make adifference. Long may it continue to do so, and long may wecontinue to represent.

Fighting toprotect yourrights

Local Focus – Jon Christopher, chair of West Yorkshire Police Federation

“The service hasa great numberof people whoseem to agree towaive some ofthe rights thatwe, the PoliceFederation ofEngland andWales, havefought tooth and nail for ”

The conference looked atthe high-profile investigationsin policing includingHillsborough and the LevesonInquiry. Home SecretaryTheresa May has announced a number of reforms inrelation to tackling the issue,such as the expansion of the Independent PoliceComplaints Commission to deal with all seriouscomplaints and asking ACPOand the College of Policing tolook at a new code of ethics.

Federation chair Steve Williams

News & Comment


Detectives say service to thepublic is damaged by cuts

Officers say reduced numbers and multi-skilling means service has seriously deteriorated

Pressure on detectives appears to be growing; 96 per cent of thoseresponding to the survey said the job was increasingly stressful

More than three-quarters of detectives across forces in England and Wales believe the service to thepublic has deteriorated underexcessive cuts to policing,according to a surveypublished this month.

The survey of more than4,000 detectives, carried outby the Police Federation’sNational Detectives Forum(PFNDF), found that 78 percent of respondents think the service to the public has deteriorated and a thirdthink that it has ‘seriouslydeteriorated’.

Detective Inspector Glyn Pattinson, fromStaffordshire Police, attendingthe PFNDF annual Awardsfor detectives, said cuts meantforces were losing specialistsand this would impact onservice, particularly inspecialist teams such as thosewho deal with vulnerablepeople and victims ofdomestic violence.

“One day a detective couldbe posted to a burglary case,the next a murder case, then a sexual offences team; bymulti-skilling you loseexperienced specialists andthat is affecting the service to the public,” said Det InspPattinson. “I fear that we mayend up with a case that resultsin tragedy because we do nothave specialist skills available.”

“One day adetective couldbe posted to aburglary case,another a murdercase and then asexual offencesteam – by multi-skilling you loseexperiencedspecialists.”

“In the long termsomething hasto give. Wecannot ignorethe overridingconsequences ofdoing more withless, the mostsignificant beingpublic safety.”

Picture: Image Source / Alamy

The pressure on those in the role also appears to begrowing, with 96 per cent ofthose who responded findingthe job stressful and morethan half saying theirworkloads had increased‘substantially’ in the last three years. Even whendetectives were off-duty, more than 70 per cent hadbeen contacted by their forces

concerning case work at leastonce a month.

Paul Ford, secretary ofPFNDF, said: “These resultsgive me great cause forconcern as the safety andwelfare of our members andthe public is paramount.

“The dedication of officersthroughout the country isunquestionable as theycontinue to fulfil theexpectations placed on them in the face of very real pressure.

“In the long term,something has to give. Wecannot ignore the potentialoverriding consequences of doing more with less, the most significant beingpublic safety.”

Steve Williams, chair of the Police Federation, hasoutlined concerns at fringeevents at all three partyconferences held over thelast few months that theservices ‘to-do’ list isgrowing while numbers are diminishing.

News & Comment: National Custody Seminar

ACPO custody to deal with m


Holidays are brilliant. Yes, it’s a downer to walk back intothe office, in the knowledge that you will have 385 totallyirrelevant e-mails to plough through in order to find thethree that will bite you on the backside if you don’t dealwith them. But if you’ve had the opportunity to get awayfor a week or two all the rest of the hassle is worthwhile.

This year, the Sergeant family had a couple of weeks inSpain. It was nothing glamorous, just a package tour to the

costas. Of course, I stilltook an interest in thework of the local copsas they went about theirdaily business.

While most of therozzers trundled aroundin vans lookingsuspiciously like ourown, they did have acrack squad of beachbobbies, whose patrolplan seemed to consistof riding up and downthe sea front on quadbikes, stopping every sooften to pose forphotographs fromadmiring tourists. MrsSergeant is not blessedwith a career in the

public service and therefore isn’t brainwashed intopolitically correct insensibility. She did seem to appreciatethe PR efforts of these bronzed Adonises, taking severalphotographs herself before uttering something like‘Phwoarr!!’ and wandering off to cool down in the sea, orpossibly harass a lifeguard.

It occurred to me that, maybe, the grass really wasgreener on this side of the fence and I started to speculateon the possibility of transferring to the Policia Local. Theirwork might consist mostly of locking up drunken Britishlouts, of which there were many, but then so does ours. Atleast the weather’s better and they do have the chance tobreak up the monotony with a bit of posing.

Hasta la vista, amigos…

The StationSergeant is...dreaming ofsun, sand and sea

The Station Sergeant

“Their work mightconsist mostly oflocking up drunkenBritish louts, ofwhich there weremany, but then so does ours. Atleast the weather’sbetter and they do have the chanceto break up themonotony with abit of posing.”

Follow me on Twitter @stationsarge

The ACPO lead for custodyhas said urgent changes areneeded to address the mentalhealth crisis in cells butrejected the idea that policeofficers should lose theirSection 136 powers.

Speaking at the PoliceFederation’s Sergeants’Central Committee’s NationalCustody Seminar in Stoke onTrent, Dawn Copley, assistantchief constable of GreaterManchester Police, insistedofficers need powers to dealwith the challenges they face.

Kevin Huish, theFederation’s lead on mentalhealth, has called for theremoval of police custody as adesignated place of safety forthose sectioned under theMental Health Act andsuggested the ultimate aimshould be for officers to nolonger have Section 136powers available.

ACC Copley said: “Thereare varying estimates of howmuch police time is spentdealing with people withmental illness, and some

estimate up to 25 per cent (oftheir time). The acute issuesthat trigger the use of Section136 and trigger the use ofpolice custody all evoke verypassionate debate.

“If mental health casesaccount for a quarter of whatwe do we have to have thepowers to deal with it but I doagree with his [Mr Huish’s]call for an end to policestations being used as a placeof custody.”

ACC Copley’s commentscame after a BBC Panoramainvestigation brought thedebate surrounding policecustody and the mentallyunwell into the nationalspotlight. During theprogramme, PoliceSuperintendents’ Associationpresident Irene Curtis saidpeople suffering with mentalhealth problems should betaken to A&E departmentsrather than police cells – anotion rejected by the mentalhealth services.

However, ACC Copley said: “I think the police are

Officers could face fines Officers could face a £1,000 fine if they fail toprovide timely evidence tocoroners investigating deathsin custody.

The warning came fromJoanne Kearsley, deputycoroner for SouthManchester, speaking at theFederation’s National CustodySeminar. Ms Kearsley (right)said that coroners were now

Senior police back call for new powers to deal


lead says change is crucial ental health crisis in cells


ACC Dawn Copley said more community-based care was needed to tackle mental-health policing issues

increasingly seen as the firstresort for someone withmental illness. When family,friends and neighbours canno longer cope it tends to beus that they call.

“There’s somethingVictorian about the prospectof someone who is mentallyunwell being placed in apolice cell. The best place forthem to be treated is onmedical premises.”

it was a step that could betaken once mental healthservices were resourced tocope with the demands.

At the close of the seminarhe said: “We need propercoverage from crisis teams orsomeone else to support us.”

Senior police officers,academics and key figuresfrom the criminal justicesystem were among thespeakers at the seminar.

for delays in evidence to coroners required by law to completeinquests within six months ofreceiving notification of adeath, and any officer whodoes not provide evidencewhen requested faced a£1,000 fine. If an inquest isnot heard within 12 months afull explanation must be givento the chief coroner.

“Coroners are going to haveto be much more hands-on in

ACC Copley’s speech also focused on deaths incustody and she called forforces to improve theircustody record recording andquality of risk assessments.

She also stressed theimportance of properlyassessing those leavingcustody in a bid to reduce the number of people whohave died within 48 hours of release.

“In 2012/13, 15 people died in police custody,” she said. “The custodyenvironment carries aninherent level of risk; peoplemay be vulnerable, aggressive,suffering from mental illnessor intoxicated from alcohol or drugs. Every one of those15 deaths is a family andpersonal tragedy.”

ACC Copley said that while the number of deaths in custody was fallingyear on year, the knock-onresult was that every suchdeath was now subject togreater scrutiny. She alsoacknowledged that currentworkloads had placed an increasing strain onofficers working in thecustody environment.

“The current role of thecustody sergeant is becomingunsustainable unless there isincreased delegation tocapable and trustedcolleagues,” ACC Copley said.

However, she said she could not envisage a situationwhere resourcing problemsmeant custody sergeantswould be forced to assessdetainees remotely.

terms of case management,”Ms Kearsley said. “Gone arethe days when you becomeaware of the death, the casegoes off to the IPCC and youwait for it to come back.”

A lead forensic medicalexaminer (FME) also toldcustody sergeants that theyshould feel comfortablequestioning medical opinionsif they are unhappy. Dr Jenny

Holmes, lead FME forMerseyside, told the seminarthat “sergeants should feelempowered to challengehealthcare professionals” ifthey are unsure whetheradvice on a detainee’s healthis accurate. Her commentscame after Christine Kellyfrom NHS England admitted“there’s a real issue about thequality of FME care”.

ACC Copley said morecommunity-based care wasneeded to tackle the problem,adding: “We should beincreasingly demanding of theNHS and police and crimecommissioners who areincreasingly influential incommissioning services.”

Mr Huish has said that theidea of officers losing theirSection 136 powers was notFederation policy but insisted

with mental health issues but reject suggestion that officers should not use Section 136


Legislation changeswill mean rise incost of interpretersA leading criminal lawyer has warned that the annual£65 million bill forinterpreters is set to rise aschanges to legislation come in this month.

Michael Zander QC(pictured) voiced his concernover changes to the legislationgoverning the policeprovision of interpreters forsuspects under the Police and Criminal Evidence Act(PACE) at the Sergeants’Central Committee’s NationalCustody Seminar.

£65m annual interpreters bill is set to rise

made ‘available’ to anyonearrested who required one.However, this has notpreviously applied to thosearrested under caution. The amendments to the actnow state that a writtentranslation of all documentsmust be provided.

“All of that is new and ratherworrying,” Mr Zander said.“There’s certainly someoneworrying about the cost butI’m worried about thepracticalities and how it willall play out on the ground.”


The law requires all employers to protect the health andsafety of their employees at work. Those working in theemergency services are therefore in an unusual position.While employers are required to take all reasonableprecautions to prevent their employees from being injured,members of the emergency services are required to dealwith hazards and face up to dangerous situations.

These issues were central to a recent High Court trial(Wicker & Others v Martin Winter & East Sussex Fire &Rescue Service) where we acted on behalf of several policeofficers and fire fighters injured when attending anemergency situation during the course of their duties.

On December 3, 2006 a firebroke out in a warehouseowned by a fireworkswholesaler, resulting in amassive explosion. Two firefighters were killed andmany others injured,including several policeofficers. Claims for damageswere brought on behalf ofthe injured emergencyservices workers and theirbereaved families.

The owners of the fireworks factory were guilty ofnumerous health and safety breaches, but were bankruptand no money was available for them to pay damages.Claims were also brought against the Fire Service as it wasalleged that there had been serious failings in the way inwhich they dealt with the emergency situation.

The Fire Service argued that they couldn’t be sued foroperational errors during an emergency situation, but theCourt rejected their argument and found that the FireService had been in breach of its duty of care, resulting indeaths and injuries for which they had to pay damages.

So what do we learn from this case? It no doubt remainsthe case that the Courts will generally be reluctant to holda police force or the Fire Service liable for operationalerrors made by senior officers in an emergency situation.Members of the emergency services are required toundertake hazardous activities in pressured situations andit is important they are given adequate training, guidanceand equipment to ensure their safety while carrying outtheir vitally important public services.

Ensuring officers’ safety is crucial to all forces

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“It is importantthat they aregiven adequatetraining,guidance andequipment to ensure their safety.”

While the amendmentsallow for a custody officer toauthorise a verbal translationor written summary ofdocuments including thegrounds for detaining thesuspect and a written noticeof the offences under whichthey are being charged, theycannot do so for writteninterview records.

The suspect may waive hisright to have the documentstranslated but only havingreceived legal advice “orhaving full knowledge of theconsequences” and havinggiven their “unconditionaland fully informed consent in writing”.

He told officers at theseminar that PACE had beenaltered to take into account a2010 EU directive that statedthe police now had anobligation to provideinterpreters when necessary – not only for those who hadbeen detained but for anyoneinterviewed under cautionwithout having been arrested.

Mr Zander said the currentcosts of providing interpretersran to around £65 million ayear, a figure that was likely torise once the new rules comeinto effect. While PACE itselfhas never dealt with the issueof interpreters, Code C statesthat an interpreter should be

Please send your Dogberry entries to: [email protected]

Dogberry


After receiving numerous pieces of intelligenceregarding two local drug dealers, officers in WestYorkshire decided to execute search warrants thesuspects’ home addresses. One of the suspects is tall and thin, the second shorter, rotund in build and balding.

Early one morning, officers called at the first addressand the subject wasn’t home. After a short time, whenthe search was concluding, the subject burst throughthe front door to a house full of police officers leavingthe second subject in a waiting car outside. The car the subject arrived in was searched and 300 wraps ofclass A drugs were found in the glove box ready for the day’s business.

A month later the same two subjects were stopped byofficers with another stash of drugs. The followingmonth they were stopped for a third time with yetagain another haul. Both pleaded guilty at their firstCrown Court hearing. Summing up their defence at thepoint of sentencing, their barrister started with the line,“Your Honour, in all my years, I have never defended amore useless pair of criminals and I can only describethem as Laurel and Hardy of drug dealers”. Thebarrister then read out a character reference from afriend who signed it off as ‘Dangerous’ Dave. Even theJudge couldn’t resist laughing at this calamity beforesending the comedians down.

At the scene of an assaultin Bispham, a small townnear Blackpool covered byLancashire Police, aPC arrested the offenderand after a cursory searchthe detained person wasbrought before the custodyofficer at BlackpoolCentral Police Office.

During the custodysearch a small brownsubstance was locatedsecreted on the detainedperson.

Without hesitation theofficer issued a furtherarrest and caution for “possession of cannabis”.

The detained person looked shocked and dismayed, but after the explanation thatthe offending item was in fact a dog biscuit the shock and dismay passed quickly tothe red-faced officer. This was followed by the usual laughter and character buildingbanter of as many dog-related jokes as possible; “smoking the same would make youwoof!”, “you’re barking up the wrong tree” and “you need a nose for this job” werejust a few of the one-liners the officer had to endure.

Streets are safer as Judge sends down the clowns

Dopey decision puts PC in dog house


National Police Memorial Day

Remembering thosewho have made the ultimate sacrificeNine-year-old Emily Thomas was among those who lit a candle at the National Police Memorial Dayservice to remember those who paid the ultimatesacrifice while on duty.

Emily is the daughter of PC Daniel Paul Thomas, theSouth Wales Police officer who died in a motorcycleaccident while travelling home from duty in 2005; shetook her place to represent the Welsh Police amongrepresentatives of the four home nations.

This year’s service was held at St David’s Hall inCardiff on September 29 and was attended by thefamilies, friends and colleagues of officers. PrinceCharles, patron of the charity, spoke at the event,which also saw Home Secretary Theresa May and MPscome to the service alongside senior officers and SteveWilliams, chair of the Police Federation of Englandand Wales who support NPMD.

Prince Charles spoke of the professionalism ofpoliceman and women and the gratitude that we owethem for keeping us safe and to their families.

National Police Memorial Day was founded by JoeHolness in 2000; to find out more about the annualevent, visit www.nationalpolicememorialday.org


National Police Memorial Day



Features

Picture: C

ouperfield / Shutterstock.com

Out of theshadowsHigh-profile cases involving ‘Twitter trolls’ have again shed thespotlight on the issue of stalking – and the emerging area ofonline stalking. But are police officers aware of what to do whensomeone makes a complaint of this kind? Syreeta Lund writes

Features


Paladin is a National Stalking AdvocacyService CIC, established last year, toassist high-risk victims across thecountry. As the number of incidents ofcyber stalking continues to increase,Paladin has advised police on how toapproach those involved in stalking viasocial media – such as the recent Twittercampaigns targeting feminist campaignerCaroline Criado-Perez and Stella CreasyMP which included threats to rape andkill. It also provides experience andadvice to police in dealing with moretraditional methods of stalking contactsuch as email, phone calls and followingan individual in person.

London and now has a total of sevenmembers of staff – the three founders, anoffice manager and three case workers.

“We have already assisted federationreps with difficult cases. Officers whohave been stalked, their daughters orfamily members. We are advising onconduct in investigations and moreproactive work, and also working withforces on the technical side around socialmedia platforms and cyber stalking,” saysMs Richards.

The British Crime Survey found around120,000 people are affected by stalkingand harassment every year – yet only

“He admitted it all and accepted a caution,but he did not stop. I have moved over tentimes since this started.Living in constant fearand with alarms is soul destroying andimpacts on every area of your life.”

53,029 cases were recorded as crimes,and only 6,581 were subsequently foundguilty in court, according to figures froma study of perpetrators by Napo in 2011.

“There are officers who are advisingvictims not to change their phonenumber, address or social mediaaccounts, but this is like re-abusing thevictim,” adds Ms Richards. “The offendersees their behaviour is having an effectand becomes more antagonistic.”

Some officers are not aware of theescalating nature of staking, according toMr Fletcher. “Social media abuse can befrom particularly nasty perpetrators

Most stalking victims receive multiple forms of contact – phone calls, emails, a stalker turning up,

Stalking was only enshrined in law as aspecific crime in England and Wales inNovember last year following a lobbyingcampaign by organisations and MPs. Thework of criminal behavioural analyst andadviser Laura Richards and HarryFletcher, previously from Napo, wereintegral to ensuring the success of thecampaign. Following on from this theysaw a gap in support for both the policeand victims and set up Paladin, theNational Stalking Advocacy Service,alongside the financial director ofdomestic violence charity Safer Places,Alison Mann.

The organisation has now had backingfrom the National Lottery, JosephRowntree Trust and Police Mutual to setup a national service. It is specificallylooking to work with the PoliceFederation to assist officers involved ininvestigations of harassment, and has puttogether a training package for policeofficers. By February 2103 Paladin hadsufficient funds to set up an office in

Picture: solarseven / Shutterstock.com

Features


“There is such a gap inknowledge when youspeak to people on theground (in policing). I can understand thatthe police have limitedknowledge but peopleare using platforms likeTwitter and there needsto be some training inthis area.”

Most victims receive multiple forms ofcontact – phone calls, emails, turning up,child contact, court process and socialmedia platforms such as Facebook andTwitter, according to the NationalStalking Helpline. Of the 143 womenwho took part on the survey, 69 per centcontacted the police; for those who didnot, part of the reason given was oftenbecause they felt little would be done. Ofthose who did contact the police, 65 percent were not satisfied with the response.

Ms Richards said harassment via socialmedia may seem to start off at a lowlevel: “We call them gateway offences –sometimes people don’t think they areserious but I would be concerned. Therehave been recent threats to life –potential national threats. There is such agap in knowledge when you speak topeople on the ground (in policing). I canunderstand that the police have limitedknowledge but people are usingplatforms like Twitter and there needs tobe some training in this area.”

For more information, visit the Paladinwebsite (paladinservice.co.uk).

whose behaviour can escalate,” he says.Ms Richards, who was involved inadvising the police in relation to thethreats made to both Stella Creasy MPand Caroline Criado-Perez, reiterates thepoint: “Particularly in cyber space whereindividuals can do it (stalk) withimpunity, things escalate. The big issue isaround training – not just the law aroundsocial media. It’s also about making surepolice officers are aware of the differentsocial media platforms.”

The Met Police has reported onlineharassment and bullying is on theincrease – with around 2,000 crimes

related to online abuse being reportedeach year and set to rise.

“A study by Paladin found that whenthey examined a sample of perpetratorsvirtually none got significant sentences.There is no treatment possible as they donot go to prison for long enough. Whenthey are behind closed doors in prisonthey can still strike,” says Mr Fletcher.

A survey, The Victim’s Voice, publishedin November 2011, looked at victims’experiences of the criminal justice systemand found that of 143 victims of stalking,one in two had been stalked for longerthan 18 months, with 42 per cent stalked

for more than 24 months. Withoutintervention and prevention many do notstop until they are put in prison, havetreatment or a combination of the two,according to Paladin.

One victim told the survey: “The policearrested him. He admitted it all andaccepted a caution, but he did not stop. Idecided the safest thing to do was move.I have moved over ten times since thisstarted. Living in constant fear and withalarms is soul destroying and impacts onevery area of your life.”

court processes, and social media platforms such as Facebook and Twitter

Features


Stress is the one thing in your policecareer that can be relied upon not to discriminate – it can affect youregardless of gender, age, rank or lengthof service. In 1993 the American author,Ronald Constant, wrote that demands on the police were increasing but that the resources and time allowed forpolicing tasks were not increasing tomeet this demand.

Picture: Lisa Gagne / iStockphoto.com

He said that police officers must doimpossible tasks and meet unrealisticdeadlines in the worst of workingconditions. Constant was writing aboutAmerican policing 20 years ago, but theissue is just as pertinent in the UK now.Although the nature, type and variety ofdemand may have changed over this timeperiod, it can be argued that the level ofdemand is similar or even greater.

Research findings have indicated policeofficers are at a higher risk of job-relatedstress than the general public, whichdirectly leads to an impact on anindividual’s physical and mental health.Stress upon law enforcement officers canbe considered broadly but I look at theassociation between policing andburnout. Some researchers believe thatburnout is different to stress, in that it is

The blue burn

What’s bugging officers and impacting on their morale, and canthe service deal with burnout as we see a 14,000 drop in numbersand increased pressures? Mike Adams looks at risk factors andargues the service should be supporting those affected.

Features


Picture: D

avid Hoffm

an / Alamystressful on the individual but is not

caused by stress. So the questions are,what is burnout, how does it affect policeofficers and how is it distinguished fromgeneral apathy and melancholy?

Burnout is generally considered abuzzword from the 1980s, but one that is equally applicable to situations in the 21st century. While burnoutsyndrome consists of negative attitudesand actions towards both clients and theorganisation, stress is more to do with aparticular relationship between theindividual and their surroundingenvironment. For police officers, the link between burnout and stress cansometimes appear to be obvious, but thisis not the case. The suggestion is that thesyndrome of job burnout is more a sumof individual factors, rather than due tothe type of activity performed at work.

It is not a syndrome unique to policeofficers; police staff can suffer many ofthe same stresses, and it is particularlyprevalent in those who do ‘people work’,resulting in cynicism towards those theyserve. Most of the studies into policeburnout have overlooked police civilianstaff members, but a recent study ofcivilian employees from 12 policeagencies across America found theburnout process to be a universal one.

There are many aspects of police workthat contribute to burnout and theprocess is unique for each personaffected. Job burnout is a form of stress that all people suffer to somedegree at various times in their lives, but it becomes critical when they feeltired and frustrated every day with norespite. It is considered normal for aperson to have good days, bad days andso-so days but when it is felt that thedays go from them feeling ‘tired and

frustrated’ to ‘despair and anger’ with nogood days in between, then they mightbe showing signs of job burnout.

The concern is that the person lacks the emotional reserves to change thelevels of stress, which is a symptom ofmental, physical and emotionalexhaustion, excessive psychologicaldemand, and chronic emotional stresswithin both professional and personalrelationships. All of these combined lead to feelings of detachment anddespondency. Factors such as work-homelife imbalance, long hours, demanding

workloads and a perceived lack of controlover work matters may compound orcontribute to an officer’s already formedanxiety or stress level. Other factorsinclude not receiving the recognitionthey expect, feelings of non-appreciationor being under-valued, and issues such aspromotion and development orrecognition for pieces of work well done.

A work-home life imbalance can lead tofeelings of unfairness and emotionaldiscomfort and sensitivity. These feelings

are associated with exhaustion, usuallythe initial response to environmentalstresses. To deal with this effectively, onemust be aware that an officer’s work andhome demands are not mutuallyexclusive; the demands of an officer’shome life become a factor and thepressures of police work do not build upsolely on the basis of work matters. Thiswork-home conflict is an importantfactor in the development of job burnout.Officers have very little control over work

Job burnout is a form of stress that many people suffer, but it becomes critical whenofficers feel tired and frustrated every day with no respite



demands (ie shift work, paperwork etc)and their impact on family life. It couldbe said that police officers are suitablycompensated through salaries, but theseultimately do not replace family time.Social support through time spent withthe family is believed to be a bufferagainst work stresses but as the workdemands increase, the opportunity forhelp from the familial support networkdiminishes, perpetuating the situation.

Burnout symptoms may affect severalareas of an individual’s life including jobperformance, health and emotionalstability. There may be a lack of interestor pride in appearance, and dailyroutines such as eating or drinking mightchange. On an emotional level, they maystart to feel depressed and that there is nopoint in trying. Feelings of lethargy,apathy and tiredness as well as anxietyand irritability are not uncommon. US-based psychologist Dr Beverley Potterhas remarked that a person’s skills andknowledge remain intact but the will toperform, or the spirit within, isdiminished. This has led to burnoutbeing described as ‘a malaise of the spirit’.

The Oxford English Dictionary definesburnout as physical or mental collapsecaused by overwork or stress, and citesthe example that high levels ofprofessionalism may result in burnout.

Notably and contemporary to presentday matters, the Winsor Review seminar(November 2010) discussed alterations toconditions of police service and exitroutes from the service, citing asignificant segment of officers in thepolice force as “feeling tired, a bitdemotivated and a bit burnt out”. It wasadded that such officers had providedgood service over many years but hadreached a point where, for eitherpersonal or professional reasons, theyhad “plateaued and got tired”.

understanding and consideration of thefactors that bring about an officer toexperience burnout, or a disregard of theduty of care issues owed to highlycommitted officers affected throughwork-related situations. The view of thepolicing officials participating in theWinsor Review towards this particulartopic provided a perception of themseeing burnout syndrome as a permanentstate, contrary to professional opinion.

The contemporary opinion of theFederal Bureau of Investigation, quotedin the FBI Law Enforcement Bulletin, isthat: “Those charged with enforcing lawsand safeguarding citizens placethemselves in harm’s way every day. Toensure their physical, mental, emotional,and spiritual survival, they must receiveappropriate support from their agenciesand communities.” When this is weighedagainst the Winsor Review opinions,evidence suggests that the need for helpand support for officers experiencingburnout needs to be addressed.

Mike Adams has 21 years’ service and is a Detective Constable. He graduated

from the University of Leicester in 2007with an MSc (Merit) in Forensic & LegalPsychology, and is a Full Associate of the

International Academy of InvestigativePsychology (Asc.IA-IP).

Features

Long hours and demanding workloads are among factors which may compound or contribute to an officer’s anxiety or stress

These comments could be interpretedas seeing such officers as disposable,instead of supporting individuals withthe factors that placed them in theircurrent state. The comments alsohighlighted either a lack of

“To ensure theirphysical, mental,emotional, and spiritualsurvival, they mustreceive appropriatesupport from theiragencies andcommunities.”

Picture: Q

wasyx / iStockphoto.com


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Sidelines

Nick O’Time Colin Whittock

Lessons fromhistory fallon deaf ears

View from the Sidelines – Clive Chamberlain,chair of Dorset Police Federation

Picture: K

elly Boreson / iStockphoto.com

“What experience and history teach is this – that peopleand governments never have learned anything from history,or acted on principles deduced from it.” So said thephilosopher George Hegel, and he’s spot on, certainly fromwhat is currently being imposed on our police service.

Twenty percent cuts have seen a cull in the numbers ofpolice officers, with theinevitable decline in theservice that is providedto our communities.Sadly there is worse tocome as nationwide,constables disappearfrom neighbourhoodpolicing teams, stationsclose and whole teamsare disbanded,including in someforces the scrapping ofroads policing (trafficdepartments) and roadssafety officers.

Chief officers arecompelled to take

tough decisions to meet growing demands, against thebackdrop of challenging budgets and a runningcommentary from politicians, the media and just out ofshort trousers ‘think-tankers’ – who all know best.

To learn from history one has only to look back to the1960s, when Bobbies were plucked from beats and placedin cars. It was a necessary move in order to provide a timelyresponse to incidents, but do so on such a large scaleinevitably led to the loss of community contact as webecame distant to a whole generation. There has beensome partial recovery from this, with the advent ofneighbourhood community teams, but these are now underthreat as forces struggle to match resources to demand.

As the softer side of policing is handed over to privatesecurity companies and PCSOs the opportunity for Bobbiesto interact in non-emergency situations is diminishing. Weare in acute danger of losing contact with yet anothergeneration and of becoming distant, remote figures – onlythere to enforce the law. Do we really want to become theEnglish equivalent of France’s Compagnies Républicainesde Sécurité (CRS)?

In the absence of a long overdue Royal Commission thereneeds to be public debate. Two questions that I suggest are “What are the Police for?” and “Do communities want a police service or a police force?”

In the current financial climate both are not possible! Whatdo you think?

Opportunities for officers to interact with the public in non-emergency situations are rapidly diminishing

“We are in dangerof losing contactwith yet anothergeneration and ofbecoming distant,remote figures onlythere to enforce thelaw. Do we reallywant to become theEnglish equivalentof France’s CRS?

Sudoku


Documents

The ultimate sacrifice - Dorset Policedorset.polfed.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/PoliceMag_2013_10... · The ultimate sacrifice Tributes to fallen officers at National Police Memorial