Members encouraged to have their say on police uniform
2 July 2024
Gwent Police Federation members are being encouraged to take part in a new nationwide survey and have their say on police uniform.
Chair Matthew Candy says the survey was a chance for members to highlight issues with their uniform and ensure it was fit for purpose.
His comments come as the Police Federation of England and Wales (PFEW) launches a National Police Uniform and Equipment Survey in collaboration with researchers at Lancaster University.
The survey will explore a range of issues including whether the uniform is comfortable, whether it affects officers’ health to how it makes them feel.
Matthew said: “We know from conversations with members that for some, their uniform is a real issue.
Uncomfortable
“Uncomfortable or ill-fitting uniforms can lead to other health issues and reduce officer safety, so it’s important we get it right.
“Please take the survey and give us a full picture of the issues around police uniforms.
“We will then use it to inform decision-makers and help shape uniform policy in the future.”
The survey is live now and closes on 12 August.
It has had input from the National Police Chiefs’ Council, the Police Superintendents’ Association, UNISON and the Home Office.
Zac Mader, the Federation’s Welsh co-lead, is leading the project with fellow National Board member and PFEW wellbeing lead Belinda Goodwin.
Zac called for as many members as possible to complete the survey.
He said: “This is the first opportunity our members have had to tell us and the police service how they feel about their uniform.
Uniform
“Every day, in every station, there’s likely to be a conversation about uniform, whether it’s good, bad or indifferent.
“Our survey focuses on issues around uniform and interoperability with equipment and PPE.
“Is the uniform fit for purpose? How does it make people feel wearing it? Does it make you feel proud to be a police officer?
“This is a great opportunity for our members to have their say on what they think about their uniform and what they want from it, and we’d encourage as many as possible to complete it.
“We’ll use the results to give decision-makers evidence of what our members want so that meaningful changes are made to the uniform and uniform policies.”
Zac said he hoped the work would improve the quality of uniforms and even save Forces money in the long run.
Postcode lottery
“It appears to be a postcode lottery at the moment,” he said.
“There isn’t one route to buying uniform, which means potentially different standards of uniform across the service.
“We want consistency with police uniform, with the highest minimum standards and to get rid of the postcode lottery.
“We want a uniform that is environmentally friendly and that has been ethically sourced.
“And we believe that there are future opportunities with procurement of uniform and buying power."
The link to the survey has been sent to members' inboxes. If you have any queries, please contact impactofuniform@gmail.com or the PFEW research team on researchanddatacollection@polfed.org
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