Kent Police Federation Chair Neil Mennie reacts to the announcement of a General Election, which will be held on 4 July.

23 May 2024

“The announcement of a General Election will likely lead to policing being one of the issues talked about by all the political parties, as it usually does.

“In recent times we have seen some blatant political interference in policing – be that in the public order arena or comments about how certain crime times should be dealt with and prioritised.

“The next Government needs to look at reducing demand on policing, not increasing it, and missing the reality that demand for policing far outstrips the resources to manage it.

“A glance over the border into Scotland at the new hate crime law has resulted in thousands of complaints, and it has been suggested that the majority of these are vexatious. Policing should not be a pawn and utilised to referee matters and issues that it hasn’t got time to do. The reality is that in order to maintain quality of service, the next Government needs to look at what we should not be doing.

“During the campaign, there will of course be mention of the ‘extra’ police officers, although this is in part a catch-up from the significant cuts in 2010. Of course we welcome and want to see new joiners, but retaining and looking after them is also critical.

“The new recruits uplift Government survey is often referred to as a sign of success, with the majority of respondents saying they are satisfied in the role and intend to stay. However, this contradicts the PFEW’s Pay and Morale Survey across the whole of England and Wales, in which a majority indicated they would not recommend others join the profession. One might conclude that the initial enthusiasm and motivation is then sucked away as officers progress.

“The political focus on law and order and policing does not appear to match looking after those who are doing their best to carry it out. The highs of policing can be very high, but they are usually followed by a plethora of digital bureaucracy supported by a crumbling criminal justice system.

“The Police Covenant has appeared somewhat underwhelming and pedestrian to date, and it needs to progress with meaningful benefits.

“Many forces, including ours, are facing significant cost saving measures and difficult decisions. Measures such as reverse civilianisation are undermining the ability to resource officers where they are needed, and contrary to the reasons our PSE colleagues were doing these roles in the first place.

“Without significant investment it is hard to see the reduction in workloads and overall improvement in officer motivation and morale any time soon. We need a decent, fair independent pay negotiating process – the next Government should welcome this, not hinder and restrict it.

“Colleagues are working hard demonstrating skill and courage despite the environment getting more challenging.