It is vitally important that local MPs know the reality of policing in their region and how “mentally and physically exhausting it is”, the Chair of Norfolk Police Federation has said.

Andy Symonds was speaking after Clive Lewis, MP for Norwich South, wrote a letter to the Minister for Policing, expressing his concerns about the funding crisis.

Mr Lewis wrote that he had been told by Norfolk Police Federation and the Unison trade union that years of underfunding had left forces struggling to maintain essential services and that, “without urgent intervention, the situation will continue to deteriorate”.

He was also concerned that police officers were being “misallocated” into police staff roles, and wrote that the Government should consider ending the police officer uplift number targets and removing the financial penalties on forces that fall below these levels.

Mr Lewis wrote: “I agree with Unison and the Federation’s call for the Government to provide a fair 2025 police grant settlement and a long-term funding review that restores police budgets, eliminates force deficits, and ensures proper recruitment of police staff so officers can return to frontline duties.”

He also highlighted the “worryingly low morale” among police officers.

 Andy Symonds, Chair of Norfolk Police Federation, said he was pleased that Mr Lewis had written the letter and that the Federation had been holding meetings with Norfolk MPs since the beginning of this year. 

 Andy said: “It’s vitally important that our local MPs are fully briefed on the issues impacting officers and the police service here in Norfolk. I have invited Fed Reps and our members to speak at these meetings, so that our members get an opportunity to tell MPs of their experiences in policing this county. 

 “We talk about the need for a properly resourced police service, and how important it is that police officers have collective bargaining when it comes to our pay and conditions. We also tell MPs about the degradation of police pay over the past 15 years, which means that our pay is over 20% down on where it should be. And we discuss recruitment and retention issues.

 “Then, when MPs attend debates and committees in Parliament, they can engage properly on the subject of policing. They will have had the experience of meeting both myself and officers who have told them the realities of how mentally and physically exhausting it is being a police officer in 2025.”