Birmingham hosts national Federation conference

22 May 2018

The Police Federation’s annual national conference opens at Birmingham’s ICC today.

Among today’s speakers are policing minister Nick Hurd, Sir Thomas Winsor, who heads Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire and Rescue Services, and Michael Lockwood, director general of the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC).

A delegation of West Midlands Police Federation representatives will be at the ICC for the two-day conference which has the theme Protect the Protectors: The reality of policing.

“The national conference came to Birmingham for the first time last year and was a resounding success,” says John Williams, acting chair of West Midlands Police Federation, “We are pleased to see it return to our city once again.

“Our representatives will fully take part in the debates, listening to what politicians and police leaders have to say but also putting across the views of our members, the hard-working and committed officers who day in, day out dedicate themselves to protecting their communities despite the difficulties of trying to provide an effective policing service while hampered by funding cuts that have seen their numbers plummet.”

Today’s sessions will include discussions about the IOPC, the Federation’s Protect the Protectors campaign and the demand and capacity imbalance. Delegates will be able to choose from breakout sessions on fatigue, women in policing and stop and search linked to knife crime.

Ahead of lunch, Holly Lynch, MP for Halifax, who has championed the assaults campaign, will present the annual Women in Policing Award.

The day will end with a question time session with Nick Hurd, the police minister, Sir Thomas Winsor, who heads Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary, Fire and Rescue Services, and shadow policing minister Louise Haigh.