A stark look at the reality of frontline policing

A major new survey of nearly 2,000 emergency response officers has exposed the scale of the crisis gripping policing today.

91% of officers say they are working in unsafe, understaffed teams.

This is not an isolated problem. It is a nationwide pattern affecting all 43 forces across England and Wales — and it is pushing policing far beyond breaking point.

What the Survey Shows

Frontline officers — mostly constables and sergeants — report a service struggling to cope:

- 52% say response policing is not working well
- Only 6% believe it is working “very well”
- Over a third say travel distances and huge patch sizes are slowing response times
- Nearly one in five report equipment failures affecting their ability to work safely

Officers describe:

- “Constant pressure to move onto the next incident”
- “Being singly crewed”
- “Full shifts wiped out by the first job of the day”

This is a picture of teams stretched not only by volume, but by distance, broken systems and too little support.

Introducing the Film: My Last Set

Alongside the survey, the Police Federation launched a powerful new film, My Last Set.

Using actors to deliver the unedited, real words of serving officers, the film asks a simple question: “Tell us what your last week of shifts was like".

The answers reveal a consistent, troubling reality of everyday response policing.

What Officers Are Living Through

The film and survey together highlight:

- Teams operating well below safe staffing levels
- Officers working extended hours, often exceeding 60 hours a week
- Repeated exposure to traumatic incidents — suicides, stabbings, mental health crises
- Officers unable to take rest days, starting shifts exhausted, overwhelmed and traumatised

This is not sustainable. It is not safe. And it is not what communities deserve.

Part of the Copped Enough Campaign

My Last Set is a key moment in the Federation’s wider Copped Enough campaign — shining a light on the crisis facing policing and the toll it takes on those who serve.

Watch the Film

Experience the real words of frontline officers.
See what policing looks like through their eyes.