Police Demand and Capacity - Officers are not “Crying Wolf”... they are just crying.

13 February 2019

GMP Federation Chairman Stu Berry reacts to the PFEW Demand, Capacity And Welfare Survey which has today revealed 86% of GMP officers say that there is too few of them do their jobs properly.

Stu said: “The results of the Demand, Capacity and Welfare Survey are damning and they are a sad indictment on modern day Policing. What they are not, is a surprise.

“This Government has been an absentee landlord leaving the home of law and order to fall into ruin. Our members are telling us that they are overstretched to point of breaking point.

“The extreme austerity ushered in by this Government has produced an era of increasing workloads as violent crime statistics soar and officer numbers continue to fall, or at best, stagnate  The link to unprecedented levels sickness within our ranks cannot be ignored. The vast majority of these officers are suffering from mental health and stress related issues. When I represent some of our members, they are not “Crying Wolf”; they are just crying.”

The survey has also revealed that 81% of officers reporting that they have often or always ended up being ‘single crewed’

And 80% of GMP officers have experienced either stress, low mood, anxiety, or other difficulties with health and wellbeing in the past year

Stu added: “We cannot blame the leaders of Greater Manchester Police for the cards they have been dealt but we must work together to change our hand.

“Much more work and investment is required to support our workforce to return to work with reasonable adjustments, help and understanding. I have dedicated a significant amount of my time to negotiate a change to our current and rigid Single Crewing/Lone Working policy. It is encouraging that our Chief Constable, Ian Hopkins, has now supported these much needed changes.

“This will enable first line leaders to assess Double Crewing as they see fit to aid officer wellbeing and development. I look forward to the implementation of this new policy in the very near future.”

Stu concluded: “Although this is a significant breakthrough, we cannot be complacent. I would like to see further investment to provide training to identify the indicators of poor wellbeing in the workplace and empower our line managers to make bold decisions to prevent it.

“It is time for the National Police Chiefs’ Council be more vocal about the current state of affairs out there on the streets. We can no longer continue to sweat the assets if the Government continually refuse to carry out their responsibility to appropriately resource the Police Service.

“There are simply not enough officers to meet demand. The questions is; what do we stop……..?”