Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill "long overdue" says Kent Police Federation

10 March 2021

New legislation promising to better protect police officers from public attacks and from prosecution for their driving when they are responding to emergency calls is “long overdue”, Kent Police Federation has said.

The Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill was unveiled in Parliament on Tuesday and included the creation of a Police Covenant following extensive campaigning by the Police Federation of England and Wales (PFEW). It also clears the way for Special Constables to formally join the Police Federation.

Kent Police Federation Chairman Neil Mennie said he hopes the new Bill will deliver tangible results.

Neil said: “The Federation has long pushed for the assaults on our members to be recognised and dealt with appropriately. What we really need to see now is that transferred into the sentencing by the courts and, where appropriate, the sentence matching the crime.

“This is a really helpful piece of legislation increasing that sentence, but there’s clearly still a lot more work to do. We need to understand why our officers are being subjected to so many assaults and what we can do to enhance the protection of our members through kit, equipment and training.”

Police drivers will also benefit from the Bill, which will ensure officers are regarded as driving dangerously only if the way they drive falls far below what would be expected of a competent and careful constable who has undertaken the prescribed training; or it would be obvious to such a competent and careful constable that driving in that way would be dangerous. Officers are currently judged under the same standards as members of the public.

Neil welcomed the increase in protection for police drivers, saying: “It is nice that the Home Secretary has provided some really good, warm words around that, but of course we need to see the tangible results. Too often our members have ended up in court and have then been exonerated.

“It was always an unfair comparison to take someone that’s trained to the level they are and to compare them with the public. After all, one of the critical things that police officers need to be able to do is get to the public as fast and as safely as possible when they really need our help. That’s not without risk, so it’s long overdue that that’s recognised.”

The Police Covenant creates a statutory duty for forces to support police officers and places a requirement on the Home Secretary to report annually to Parliament. It will focus on protection, health and wellbeing, and support for families. Neil said: “It’s about looking after our members, serving and retired, and bringing some care to them. It’s making sure we look after them in the same way that the military Covenant looks after the armed forces.

“It’s really important and a recognition of the service that police officers provide. Hopefully it will recognise some of the unique issues that can arise from a long police service – be it physiological, be it psychological – and it’s great that it should look after after our folks now and well into the future. We look forward to seeing the practical details and additional benefits for our members”

He said it was “fantastic” that Special Constables could join the Federation: “It’s right and proper that they have the same protections when they’re going about their duties, and that’s really welcome. Hopefully it’ll make them feel that they’re part of something bigger, part of a professional body, and quite rightly so.

When she launched the Bill in Parliament, Home Secretary Priti Patel said: “On becoming Home Secretary, I vowed to back the police to cut crime and make our streets safer...This Bill enshrines my commitment to those brave officers who put themselves in danger to keep the rest of us safe into law.”