Open Letter from Chair to all Surrey MPs

1 October 2017

Dear XXXXX

I write to you as the Chair of Surrey Police Federation on behalf of the 1,900 police Officers we proudly represent.

Let's be clear, the time has come to end the smoke and mirrors when it comes to policing. It is imperative that you tell the public the truth. About crime figures. About police numbers. About the ‘extra’ officers the Government pledges. About ‘extra’ money the Government says you will pay.

You expect officers to run towards terrorists one minute and then turn your backs when we ask for help so they can afford to feed their families. Families they barely see because of the hours they work to fill the void left by the thousands of officers who are no longer there because of your cuts.

Officers who are now broken. Who are unable to cope with the mental and physical demands placed upon them by having to work in depleted environments. With out of date kit.

Our officers are committed to serving the public. And we thank the public for their overwhelming support, particularly in light of recent incidents. But with 20,000 fewer police officers than seven years ago it is no wonder we have seen crime rise and the service to the public suffer.

This is not fair on them.

This month the Government announced a 1% pay rise for police officers. And a one per cent one-off bonus. This month must come from existing police budgets. It’s a disgrace the Government has ignored the recommendations from the independent Police Remuneration Review Body – the very body you set up to advise on police pay. They recommended a consolidated 2% pay rise for all police officers.

And let's remember that inflation is running at 2.9%.

The time has come to end the meaningless platitudes when it comes to policing. We want a properly funded and well-resourced police service. The public rightly want and expect this.

To this end, I will be coming to Manchester to meet elected MPs from the county of Surrey on Tuesday 3 October at the Conservative Party Conference - and will be delighted to meet up with you to discuss our concerns.

Please do reply and let me know a convenient time. I shall be publishing this correspondence and I look forward to hearing from you and seeing you next week.

Kind regards

Mel