Sergeant Stuart Ford talks about the mental-health benefits of exercise.

28 September 2024

Sergeant Stuart Ford, the Cycling Team Lead for City of London Police, believes strongly in the mental-health benefits of exercise.
The cycle response team has made huge strides in tackling crime and anti-social behaviour in the Square Mile, alongside community education and engagement.
Stuart has spoken about the importance of the policing Code of Ethics and delivering a service that is fair, ethical and trusted. At the same time, he is an advocate of exercise and fitness to help police officers with their mental health and wellbeing.
He said the Code of Ethics helped gain the public’s trust: “It’s an uphill battle to get the public on side. One way we can do that is to show them that we have a high code of ethics.
“I personally set my standards high around honesty and integrity, and always try to treat people fairly. As a police officer, you’re held to a higher account and I think that’s right because of the powers we hold – we’ve got to prove that we are worthy of that.”
Equally, Stuart looks after his team and holds regular team meetings and one-on-ones to check there aren’t any problems.
He said: “I might be their supervisor, but I feel like I’m on the same level. I don’t expect them to do anything that I won’t do and don’t do myself.
“If they need a bit of time, then I want them to come to me and tell me. If they’re having problems in their personal life, tell me about it and we’ll work it through, I don’t just say: ‘Well, you need to be at work’. Sometimes people need to be at home or sometimes they need a bit of time to deal with things.
“In my experience, if you give them that time and you support them, then what you actually get is a much better police officer.”
Cycling and fitness is a huge part of Stuart’s life: he describes himself as a very keen cyclist, then adds “that’s an understatement!”. As well as running the force’s Cycling Unit and having been involved in police cycling training for 18 years, he also helps run the UK Police Unity Tour, which raises awareness of officers who have died in the line of duty.
He said: “I marshalled the Police Unity Tour for a couple of years, then the committee asked me to take over as the lead rider for the London chapter and also join the committee. So I’ve been heavily involved in the route planning for the past seven or eight years now.
“It’s for a great cause and we’ve raised over £1 million for Care of Police Survivors (COPS). But it’s also about getting a load of police officers together who are in a very positive mindset. It’s easy for police officers to moan and groan. But actually, when you get away for a few days on the bike, everyone is so positive that it’s amazing. That’s why I do it, to be honest – the people.”
Mental health and exercise are intrinsically linked, Stuart said, which is why he encourages officers to make time for fitness.
He said: “As a youngster, growing up in East London, it wasn’t always easy. My escape was to literally get on my bike and get out. It’s always been about that for me. I cycle nearly every weekend with friends, and it’s also part of my job.
“Getting on that bike and just going for a ride, I’ve always found it really good for my mental health. I can get in in the morning and feel a bit down, then I get in the gym and it sets you up for the day. I’m constantly pushing that to my colleagues and I try to give my colleagues time in the gym, because it really helps.
“I also used to run a spinning class in my own time for people at work. I think all workplaces should encourage their people to do exercise. The City of London Police, in particular T/Chief Superintendent Duffy, is very proactive in getting people involved in fitness, training and exercise. We have a summer and winter games that we get people involved in. There’s a lot that we do as a force that is really positive.”