Federation: Focus on Response Policing should be every day of the year

26 June 2023

Response policing should be focussed on by forces every single week and not just one week of the year, Wiltshire Police Federation has said.

“Rather than a cursory celebration of response policing how about we go crazy and resource it instead,” said Phil Matthews, Federation Chair.

“Response policing week is not something that the Federation in Wiltshire is promoting… simply because a week to recognise response policing is almost offensive.

“Our response officers are being asked to achieve more than is possible in the time they are given to do it. They are then held to account through conduct and performance measures for failing to achieve the unachievable.”

Phil added: “Our officers aren’t breaking any more, they are broken. Officers are suffering a poor work life balance with sleep and relaxing interrupted, sickness through both mental health related and physical.

“Officers are exhausted, the constant and unending demand on response cops is not something that can be ignored for much longer. Change is needed. Response policing needs to be properly resourced rather than empty acknowledgments such as ‘response policing week’.”