Get to know your Fed reps: Steve Malone

21 October 2021

New West Midlands Police Federation workplace representative Steve Malone has vowed to bring a “pragmatic but determined approach” to the role after seeing the rights of colleagues eroded in recent years.

Steve, a Coventry-based inspector on the serious and organised crime/exploitation team task force, said he was happy to be learning the ropes for now after becoming a rep in the latest elections but was keen to make a difference.

He said: “Having observed the treatment of rank and file officers decreasing while intrusion and control over our private lives increased, I decided I would try to become involved in more formal representation methods outside of local panels.

“I believe that sensible negotiation carried out by the Fed with a foundation of proportionate representation is the best way to protect and improve members’ rights and am keen to help.”

Steve said he hoped to bring a pragmatic but determined approach to protecting members’ interests in his new role and is looking forward to helping officers who genuinely need assistance with matters they feel powerless or afraid to take on and making the voices of those perhaps less vocal in the organisation heard in a sensible and effective manner.

He acknowledged the most challenging aspects of being a rep would be fitting in the role around his day job and personal commitments but said he would eventually hope to specialise in personnel and equalities or conduct matters.

Steve sees demand and membership retention as the greatest hurdles faced by the Federation branch.

He said: “As pay and conditions continue to degrade and the pension dispute continues to reflect poorly on our capability, our membership could reduce.

“I also think the great work could be communicated to members more effectively. In an environment where mass ‘broadcasting’ has replaced effective communication, it is a challenge to be heard above all of the other information bombarding the workforce.”

Steve said the Police Federation nationally had to keep attracting members in the face of the quick turnover model for student officers who may choose not to remain with the Force. He also warned of future issues with officers joining on direct access who quickly find themselves in senior positions — thus negotiating with the Federation — without a real understanding of the working conditions and challenges faced by frontline officers.

Steve became a police officer in 2000 and transferred to the Force in 2009.

He finished his A-Levels the year university fees were introduced so decided against higher education and applied to join the army, RAF, fire service and police. The police offered him the earliest start date and also appealed above the other careers as Steve saw the opportunity to undertake work with an outcome that can really make a difference to people’s lives, particularly people who are under-represented or may struggle to defend themselves.

He sees one of the main challenges faced by policing as an increase in public expectations over contact, time, service and outcomes while at the same enduring reduced budgets and unachievable levels of demand.

Steve said: “Socially, we live in significantly more complex times both in terms of norms and values generally and crime specifically. The police are behind, catching up and adapting is difficult, especially for larger forces.”

His advice for new officers just joining the Force would be: “Don’t take yourself too seriously.”