Police Federation: Officers are being vilified for simply doing their job

13 May 2025

Andy Symonds, Chair of Norfolk Police Federation, has today highlighted his fears that police officers in the UK currently feel “unsupported, second-guessed, and hesitant to act even when action is necessary” as they carry out their role.  

He was speaking after it was announced two Norfolk Police officers who used force on a man in a wheelchair prior to his arrest will not face disciplinary action.

Andy said: “In recent years, police officers have found themselves in the crosshairs of a mix of public opinion, mistrust, social media outrage, or misunderstood context.

“Accountability remains vital, police officers accept and invite this.

“However my colleagues are being placed under investigation or publicly vilified for simply doing the job that they are asked to do and following their training.

“This dogma reveals a difficult truth, in that in the pursuit of justice and transparency, my colleagues are often unfairly scrutinised, punished, or even prosecuted for decisions made in high-stakes, dangerous split-second situations.

“I can think of no other profession around the world that is scrutinised like police officers are.

“Take the officers in the news recently for the incident that involved a male in a wheelchair, which occurred on 20th May 2024.

“This was a difficult scenario and officers were faced with threats of violence. He had emptied a glass bottle and was holding it by the neck. An officer was spat in the face, the male managed to get possession of the officers PAVA cannister in the altercation.

“Officers decided to act as they can’t simply walk away. As a result they were investigated for an unacceptable amount of time for what was a simple case in which most of the incident was captured on CCTV and officers BWV.

“One of the officers was referred to the CPS by the IOPC to consider criminal charges of assault.

“What world are we living in when police officers in this incident, who were confronted with a violent threatening male who was brandishing a glass bottle found themselves under investigation and one officer referred to the CPS to consider criminal charges against them for simply doing their job in protecting the communities from the sorts of behaviours shown by this male.

“Nine months later, in mid-February 2025, the officers were advised that they have been fully cleared of any wrongdoing, but the damage had been done—both reputationally and emotionally for these officers.

“This intense scrutiny is one of the reasons why we see police officers leave the service or potential recruits decide that for the poor pay its simply not worth becoming a police officer.

“Policing is an inherently complex and high-pressure profession.

“Officers are regularly expected to navigate dangerous, emotionally charged scenarios where hesitation could lead with serious injuries or worse. When such incidents occur, CCTV or body worn video and social media commentary often become judge and jury. Often before facts are fully gathered.

“I firmly believe that the pendulum, has swung too far in many instances, it feels like targeting of officers simply for doing their job. I see the impact on officers mental health when they are under investigation and on many occasions under this spotlight for many, many months if not years.

“To continue to turn up to work and cope with daily life with the question mark on whether you will be charged with a criminal offence or be referred to a gross misconduct hearing where you could lose your job is just immeasurable.

“This psychological toll on the officer themselves but also their family. Is it any wonder that sadly we see officers take their own lives. It’s a tragedy in very respect. This is why I’m calling on the IOPC and Chief officers to speed up the investigative time and importantly to make the right and proportionate decisions when they make decisions to investigate officers. Chief officers must stand by their officers when they act appropriately under pressure.

“I accept that there will always be a need for officers to be investigated and for some to be exited out of the service, I do not shy away from this and as a Federation we do not stand in the way of officers that do not belong in the police service.

“But currently officers feel unsupported, second-guessed, and hesitant to act even when action is necessary. Because they see their colleagues investigated disproportionately.

“The path forward lies not in shielding police officers from scrutiny, but in ensuring that accountability is measured, fair, and informed by context. And we are not in this space currently.

“We will continue to support and advise our members when they are under investigation for simply doing their difficult job.”