Police Federation Meeting

I attended a fascinating Police Federation Open Meeting last week. Approximately 300 officers attended, predominantly from my force, with someofficers from other forces present. The theme of the meeting was changes tothe police service. Key elements of this were the proposals to merge county forces into regional entities, and the new pensions and other benefit changes. A well-known journalist, who did an excellent job of controlling debate, chaired the proceedings. It would seem that my force is being pushed into a merger with another force, and that this decision will be formally made by the Home Secretary this Monday. There is a lot of resentment from the rank and file about the proposed changes. Many officers are sceptical of promises that the resulting efficiency will lead to greater front-line funding. A common fear is that this funding will be used to recruit more PCSOs to the force, which the majority of officers disagree with. It was clear from listening to the proceedings that a large number of officers have opinions at odds with senior management and national government opinion. There was a tangible sense that a number of changes are wanted. The primary issue was funding - everyone from the Chief Constable down agreed that the force was under-funded, and this is having a direct impact on their ability to effectively do their jobs.