Federation Chair reacts to Home Secretary's speech at Conservative Party Conference

5 October 2021

Mike Reed, Chairman of the City of London Police Federation, offers a brief response to the speech by Home Secretary Priti Patel to the Conservative Party Conference today – particularly on the issue of police vetting and the need for it to be properly funded.

Mike states: “It is interesting in her speech that the issue of police vetting is raised. Vetting is the under pinning of conduct for those joining the police and those remaining in the service. What the Home Secretary should be doing is ensuring that forces have the staff available to service the needs of that vetting.

“Other incidents previously have shown vetting to be missed and in very recent memory re-vetting was at such a low level on the agenda that some officers were even vetting only once or twice in all of their career. This happens when budgets mean forces have to balance risk against performance and that comes with funding… or a lack of it.

“If vetting is the cause of the problem then this area of policing needs to be resourced correctly, in the same manner if anti social behaviour is the problem resource it correctly, robbery - resource is properly, fraud…. Yes, you guessed it, resource it properly. 

“The Home Secretary should also be reminded that it’s less than two years ago since, new discipline regulations were brought in for police officers. The outcomes of these taken out of control of police forces and legal qualified chairs deciding instead of Chief Officers. 

“Discipline is solely pointed at the individual. If the Home Secretary truly wants to change the culture of policing then what needs to brought in is ‘employment rights’ for police officers. The right to strike? No but the ability to be treated fairly, to have confidence when reporting wrong doing and those in charge to be held account to the culture of their organisations. 

“Fighting a culture change with discipline is the equivalent of a sticky plaster on a gangrenous leg.

“If true change is to come on the back of a horrendous event, it should be to fund forces to match the demands they face. To make streets safe for everyone, for the public to have a service they can count on and that police officers able to do what they want…keep the public safe.”