Christmas & New Year Message

24 December 2021

Christmas and New Year Message from Steve James, Chair of Gloucestershire Police Federation

There’s no doubt that 2021 has been a long and tiring year for everybody in policing, so I will keep this message short.  At times it has felt like the bad news and anti-police media coverage has been relentless. It would be easy here to recount the many trials and tribulations that policing has faced over the last year, nationally and locally, but that ground too is tired, and sadly well-trodden.

For all the stories that make the headlines, there are so many everyday that no-one hears about. These are the tales of officers simply continuing to go about their business, keeping people safe. Everyday officers have solved murders, broken up county lines gangs, protected the vulnerable from abuse, helped those in mental health crisis, found those who were missing, kept our roads safe, managed public disorder, and a thousand other things that fall within the ever expanding remit of a police officer. I’ve been fortunate enough to represent officers at both our local Impact Awards and at the National Bravery Awards recently, and these events serve to remind us all of the incredible bravery and excellent work that officers do everyday, because its just what they do. Along the way they’ve even managed to police a pandemic and two of the largest mutual aid operations ever seen in this country, just for good measure. Christmas is a time for celebration and there is still much to celebrate in the everyday of policing

They will do all this despite knowing that they have a government that doesn’t value them enough to prioritise them for vaccinations or to deal fairly with them over pay. They will do all this knowing that the silent majority that support them will remain silent, whilst their critics shout louder than ever. They will do all this even as it takes them away from friends and family over Christmas and New Year.

Police officers have done all of this all year, and fortunately for everyone, will do it all over again in 2022.

Steve James
Chair
Gloucestershire Police Federation