Christmas and New year Message from Kent Police Federation

23 December 2020

This time last year, I had only just started as Chairman and I was looking forward to the challenges ahead. But none of us could have foreseen the enormity of the challenge posed by the pandemic.

When Covid-19 hit, the Federation had to move quickly. It was a very fast-moving situation and we had a lot of work to do with the force to establish new systems, new processes and to get officers their PPE. It was a struggle at first but we got there in the end. We did a good job but it was challenging from the very outset because we had to change everything we did - how we worked, the way we interacted with each other, how we dealt with the public. It was a demanding time, but we soon found our rhythm. 

Ordinarily when legislation is enacted it goes through a long process and a pilot process, but we didn’t have the luxury of time, so it was very challenging for our members to get their heads round the new legislation, to differentiate between legislation and guidance and the systems that the government had brought in. Very quickly we adopted our 4-e approach which our members mastered - on top of our normal policing business which is always very busy as well.

The public of Kent have been very sensible and it is only a tiny minority of individuals that have caused issues for police officers. Our members have done well and the public on the main have been supportive.

Sadly I have to report that officer assault levels are still far too high and they continue to increase. The weaponization of Covid and the coughing and spitting at officers added another dimension to what was already an unacceptable level of assaults on our officers. Slowly but surely we are heading in the right direction. We’ve had the wider rollout of Taser, we’ve had spit guards and I think Kent Police have recognised that they need to support officers with this. Our Chief is certainly active in trying to promote officer safety and looking after us but there is still a lot more to be done and it continues to be a big problem for us. No-one should expect to go to work and be assaulted. Its important that the courts apply consistent outcomes for those officers that have been assaulted because we are still seeing some disappointing sentences.

Policing is a job like no other and it’s testament to the professionalism of our officers that they’ve been able to do their normal duties and cope with the extra dimension of Covid and go home to their families against this frightening backdrop. But we’ve been very very lucky in Kent in that we’ve had no in-service officers that have passed away. We’ve had a few that were ill but fortunately that’s been a fairly small number. Amazingly Kent Police has maintained some of the lowest absence rates in the country throughout this pandemic. It just goes to show their dedication and professionalism and their ability to come to work despite these difficult circumstances. We must also remember those officers who have gone before us and sadly through the work of the benevolent fund here in Kent I am aware that we have lost some of pensioners who have succumbed to Covid, and our thoughts are with them and their families.

I would like to thank all our hardworking members for their courage and commitment across this unforgettable year. I wish them a Merry Christmas, a peaceful New Year, and end with the hope that 2021 will be far brighter.