New research from the Police Federation of England and Wales (PFEW) has indicated nine out of 10 response officers feel they are working in teams which are unsafe and understaffed.

Results from nearly 2000 frontline personnel surveyed by the PFEW were released during Response Policing Week (20-26 April) and do not come as a surprise to branch vice chair Jamie Jones.

Jamie has responded to the survey findings, which include the views of officers from all 43 police forces in England and Wales.

He said: “Sadly, this is the reality we are facing at a national level in policing, and it is certainly mirrored locally among our branch members.

“For such an overwhelming majority of response officers to say they do not feel equipped enough to do their job is deeply alarming, as it suggests both themselves and the public are in real danger.

Unsafe at work

“A police officer feeling unsafe at work because of external factors is one thing, but to feel unsafe due to matters internal to the profession is something altogether different.

“Given all that they do to fight crime and protect the public, for so many of them to feel this way is unacceptable.”

Within the survey, respondents frequently reported being ‘constantly pushed onto the next incident’ and frequently made to operate single-crewed, as well as entire shifts being ‘wiped out by the first job of the day’.

Other headline findings included a third of respondents saying travel distances and the size of the areas understaffed teams cover are affecting their ability to act on incidents, while almost one in five cited equipment failures.

Jamie added: “Response policing is relied on as the force’s first line of defence against an endless list of crime, so it needs to be able to function at 100 per cent capacity.

“It should be unthinkable for resources to be spread so thinly. Work must be done immediately to reverse these trends, because it is clear many officers are already going beyond what should be reasonably expected of them to try and plug these gaps, which can come at a cost to their wellbeing.”

The branch vice chair went on to use Response Policing Week as an opportunity to pay tribute to those whose dedication to the frontline can never be questioned.

“As this research shows, our members working in response are facing adversity from all angles – much of which is deeply unfair – but they continue to show up and give everything to their jobs.

“Now more than ever, that deserves to be celebrated, and I would like them to know that as a Federation, we will always be here to shout about your unwavering commitment.

“We will also keep using our voice to ask for change, which is needed so you can feel properly supported as you face danger for the sake of everyone’s safety time and time again.”

Survey

Alongside the survey, the PFEW has launched a new film, ‘My Last Set’, as part of its wider ‘Copped Enough’ campaign. It uses actors to deliver real testimony from officers describing their most recent weeks on shift, highlighting consistent themes of long hours, high trauma exposure, and insufficient rest.

Together, the survey and film demonstrate:

• Teams operating below safe staffing levels

• Officers regularly work in excess of 60 hours per week

• Frequent exposure to serious incidents, including suicides, stabbings and mental health crises

• Officers are missing rest days and beginning shifts already fatigued

PFEW deputy national chair Brian Booth said the findings show officers are 'immersed in the blood, sweat and tears of emergency incidents every day', adding that they are working in what he described as a broken system being held together only by the commitment and resilience of frontline staff.

Watch the video online.