Messages flood in, thanking officers for work

9 August 2024

Northamptonshire Police Federation chair Sam Dobbs says he has been ‘blown away’ by the hundreds of messages of support for officers following the violent disorder across the country.

Sam joined colleagues in policing planned protests in Kettering Road, Northampton on Wednesday evening.

And he described the support for officers from the community as ‘fantastic’.

“We are really grateful to the public in Northampton and across the county for their support for officers during some extremely difficult times,” said Sam, who revealed he has also received private messages of support.

It has been reported that a planned protest would take place in Northampton on Wednesday (7 August). Sam joined colleagues on foot patrol at the road under threat, until PSUs [Police Support Unit] arrived.

Northamptonshire Police Federation chair Sam Dobbs.

“I was amazed by the hundreds of messages being sent to our officers,” he added.

Among the messages sent directly to Sam was a message from a local Muslim community leader, which said: ‘We are praying that God may keep all of us safe at this difficult time, and I must say that police are doing a great job and putting their lives at risk to protect all of us.

We really appreciate your assurance towards us.’

Gratitude

“It means so much to them to have that level of support and gratitude from our communities,” continued Sam, who said that police officers often find themselves at the centre of criticism, whether that is from members of the public or the media, so receiving such positive support from local communities over the past week has not gone unnoticed.

He added: “Members of the public can be so quick to criticise our members - and, thanks to the digital world we live in, people can easily share their comments at the touch of a button via social media these days. Regular criticism and continuous negativity can, as we all know, have a huge impact on morale.

“We don’t do the job for the thanks, but it does mean a huge amount to see and hear such positive things in the press, and across social media platforms. It is lovely that our work is being acknowledged.”

The Northampton Chronicle has rounded up some of the hundreds of messages of thanks directed towards Northamptonshire Police since the disorder began.

Some of these include:

“Thank you to all the officers who have stood protecting our communities.”

“Thanks for your courage and bravery in keeping us safe.”

“Thank you for putting yourselves out there for our safety.”

“A massive thank you to the police officers in all the forces throughout the country. You do an amazing job, putting the public’s safety first. Stay safe in such a worrying time.”

“Thank you for protecting us all against these people. Such a waste of your valuable time. Keep safe.”

Sam ended by thanking all members who have gone ‘above and beyond’ over the last few weeks during these ‘unprecedented times’.

“Everyone is working long hours - those who are out on the frontline and also those who are continuing to support day-to-day policing,” he said.

“I applaud the bravery and professionalism of officers, not just ours in Northamptonshire but up and down the country.

“From everyone here at the Federation, thank you.”