Officers praised by royal couple

18 May 2020

Humberside Police Federation chair Pete Musgrave has thanked the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge for a letter of support for police officers.

Prince William praised members for ‘the truly remarkable work that the police forces of the United Kingdom are doing, day in day out, to keep us all safe and keep the country going during these extraordinarily difficult times’.

And Pete said: “This letter of support from the Duke and Duchess recognising our members’ commitment to their communities and their bravery in tackling COVID-19 will serve as a welcome boost.

“They’re working tirelessly to help lead the nation’s response to this crisis and are making their own personal sacrifices to keep everyone safe, and I thank the Duke and Duchess for recognising their courage in this way.”

Pete also thanked Prince William for highlighting officers’ wellbeing during the crisis.

Pete said: “There’s the potential this pandemic will take a toll on our members’ mental as well as physical wellbeing, and I would remind them that we’re here to help.

“The Federation is working closely with the Force to do everything we can to look after their welfare and there are a lot of resources available. We would encourage anyone who finds themselves struggling to access support.”

In his letter, the Duke said that ‘the willingness of emergency service personnel to work tirelessly to protect the interests of others is a source of tremendous pride for this country’.

“Having spent the last few weeks speaking with members of the emergency responder community, I have heard first-hand about the challenges they are facing at the moment, but I have also been struck by their remarkable commitment and ‘can do’ attitude at a time like this,” he said.

Prince William also encouraged officers to look after their mental as well as their physical wellbeing.

Referring to his own service with the East Anglian Air Ambulance, William said that ‘even in normal times, emergency responders encounter distressing events on an all too frequent basis’.

“I know you take the wellbeing of your staff extremely seriously and I have heard about the helpful services provided internally to your teams, such as occupational health support and employee assistance schemes - all of which will be of vital importance as you support your staff through the weeks and months ahead,” he wrote.

“In addition to that support, I also wanted to make you aware of Our Frontline. It brings together a package of support from leading mental health charities working in partnership with Police Care UK, the Ambulance Staff Charity and the Fire Fighters Charity and offers confidential support tailored to a person’s need and preferences.

“We hope this service will complement existing provision and make a real difference in supporting the mental wellbeing of those on the front-line. I hope you will find it of interest.

“If there is anything else we can do to help at this time, please do not hesitate to let us know. In the meantime, I wanted to take this opportunity to thank you and all your colleagues for your work, your determination and your courage. The country owes you all an enormous debt of gratitude,” he added.

National Federation chair John Apter has written back to the Duke of Cambridge to thank him for his support.

John said: “Policing during the COVID-19 pandemic is something none of us have experienced, but my colleagues have worked tirelessly to keep communities safe and alleviate the burden on the NHS.

“I am incredibly proud of those 120,000 police officers we represent across England and Wales who have selflessly risen to this challenge, despite their own family worries and concerns.

“In this time of crisis, please do not underestimate just how much your kind words will mean to police officers across the country. On their behalf, thank you for recognising their dedication, bravery and commitment,” he added.