Federation: Police Officer must be involved in any service reforms

3 December 2025

Policing reforms should only be made with full input from officers on the ground, Cleveland Police Federation said.

Chair Lauren Somerville was speaking after Home Secretary Shabana Mahmoud suggested a shake up of the 'irrational' policing structure to chief officers.

Lauren said reform was needed in policing, because the current model is “breaking rather than supporting officers”, but that it needs to be done in the right way.

“Whatever the Government is considering next, any reform must start with the lived reality of policing. These decisions will affect thousands of officers and shape the safety and confidence of millions of members of the public”, Lauren said.

“It’s essential that decision-makers don’t treat this as a headline-grab or an opportunity to make a political mark. Those leading these changes must speak directly to officers to understand what actually works on the ground.”

Done well, reform can be a real opportunity to improve millions of lives across policing and the communities it serves, giving officers the “tools, time and clarity they need to focus on neighbourhood policing, tackle complex crime and serve the public effectively”, Lauren said, calling for structures that recognise “the unique pressures, risks and scrutiny officers face”, she said.

Lauren added: "Any structural changes will hit frontline officers first and hardest and they will inevitably absorb the burden of any repercussions to the public. Failing to make this a careful, genuine collaboration between officers, politicians and senior leaders risks further isolating a workforce that has already copped enough.”