Response Policing Week: officers ‘stretched too thin’ survey reveals

22 April 2026

More than nine out of 10 response officers feel they are working in teams they consider unsafe and understaffed, according to a recent survey.

The results, released during Response Police Week (20-26 April), mirror what so many frontline officers are feeling across West Mercia, says Stu Bott.

The interim branch secretary of West Mercia Police Federation has responded to a survey of 2,000 emergency response officers, of which only six per cent felt response policing is working ‘very well’.

“Officers in West Mercia Police Federation areas are part of this national picture,” says Stu, adding: “These findings will come as no surprise to our members. What they show is exactly what officers in West Mercia are living through every single shift - teams that are stretched too thin, workloads that are relentless, and officers who are doing their absolute best in circumstances that are increasingly unsustainable.”

The survey, which was carried out by the Police Federation of England and Wales (PFEW), showed response officers feeling like they are ‘constantly pushed onto the next incident’, frequently working single-crewed, and shifts being consumed by a single demand at the start of duty.

Response policing

Stu added: “Across West Mercia, officers are routinely covering vast areas across Shropshire, Herefordshire and Worcestershire, often single-crewed and travelling long distances between incidents.

“That reality means response policing is not just about demand, but about time, distance and the sheer pressure of trying to get to people as quickly as possible with too few resources.”

Stu said that while Response Policing Week should be about recognising and celebrating response officers, it should also be an opportunity to highlight the hard work and sacrifice so many on the frontline make.

“Our response officers don’t do this job for recognition, but they deserve it. Day in, day out they are dealing with some of the most challenging and traumatic situations imaginable, often without the time, resources or support they need,” he said.

“Response Policing Week is a chance not just to say thank you, but to be honest about the pressures they are under here in West Mercia - and why meaningful change is needed to properly support them and the communities they serve.”

Alongside the survey, the Federation has launched a new film, My Last Set, as part of its wider ‘Copped Enough’ campaign. It uses actors to deliver real testimony from officers describing their most recent weeks on shift, highlighting consistent themes of long hours, high trauma exposure, and insufficient rest.

The film and survey, together, demonstrate:

Teams operating below safe staffing levels
Officers regularly work in excess of 60 hours per week
Frequent exposure to serious incidents, including suicides, stabbings and mental health crises
Officers are missing rest days and beginning shifts already fatigued

Police Federation deputy national chair Brian Booth said the findings show officers are 'immersed in the blood, sweat and tears of emergency incidents every day', adding that they are working in what he described as a broken system being held together only by the commitment and resilience of frontline staff.

Watch the video here.