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WEST MIDLANDS POLICE FEDERATION APRIL/MAY 2013 

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West Midlands Police Federation 

federation April/May 

2013 

Contents 

Chairman’s introduction 4 – 5 

Champions will help Force be efficient and effective 7 

West Midlands officers want Fed to campaign for right to strike 9 

Independent review of Federation - let us know your views 10 - 11 

Tom Winsor to face Federation conference 13 

Viewpoint: What would you ask at conference 15, 16, 17 

No change to MPs’ pensions as officers’ contributions rise 18 

Federation chairman tackles MPs over pensions 19 

Winsor 2 - negotiations continue 20, 21, 23 

Axel’s life-saving skills recognised at Crufts 25 

Local news round-up 27 

Proposed sale of PHS: Have your say 29 

Check out our new website 30 

Officers urged to take part in College survey 30 

College of Policing scraps OSPRE II exams 31 

Estate planning specialists on hand to support members 33 

Can you help university research team 33 

National news round-up 34 - 35 

Advertisers 

Roland Smith, car and home insurance 2 

Police Insure, home, motor and motorcycle insurance 6 

Caroline Harris, specialist consultant money expert 8 

George Burrows, Federation insurance schemes 12 

PF Claimline 14 

Police Credit Union 22 

Linder Myers, conveyancing offer 23 

Police Mutual, ISAs 24 

RJW, part of Slater & Gordon, family law solicitors 26 

Police Healthcare Scheme 28 

First Call Financial, independent mortgage advice 30 

Gorvins, family law solicitors 31 

Warren & Co, independent mortgage advice 32 

Haix footwear 32 

Citroen Coventry 36 

Published by: 

XPR (UK) Ltd 

Editor: 

Ian Edwards, Chairman 

Deputy Editor: 

Claire Snape, 

Member Services Manager 

Claire@westmids.polfed.org 

Design and sub-editing: 

XPR (UK) Ltd 

Contact details: 

Guardians House, 

2111 Coventry Road, 

Sheldon, Birmingham, 

B26 3EA 

Telephone: 

0121 700 1100 

Email: 

westmidlandspf@polfed.org 

Federation is printed by 

Heron Press UK on behalf of the 

Joint Branch Board of the West 

Midlands Police Federation. 

The articles published do not 

necessarily reflect the views of 

the Joint Branch Board. The editor 

reserves the right to reject or edit 

any material submitted. 

Every care is taken to ensure that 

advertisements are accepted only 

from bona fide advertisers. The 

Police Federation cannot accept 

liability for losses incurred by any 

person as a result of a default on the 

part of an advertiser. 

All material is copyright and may 

not be reproduced without the 

express permission of the editor. 

Cover: Question time (Clockwise 

from the main picture of the 

Home Secretary) Theresa May, the 

Federation chairman, Steve Williams, 

police minister Damian Green and 

HMCIC Tom Winsor will all face 

questions at the national Police 

Federation conference in May. 

www.westmidspolfed.com ‘Like’ us on Facebook Follow us on Twitter 3

We will continue to 

represent your views 

By Ian Edwards, chairman of West Midlands 

Police Federation 

As I so often do when thinking 

about these articles, I have just 

been looking back on the column 

I wrote for this magazine in April 

2012 to see how things have moved on. 

Back then, I was expressing my fears 

that the Winsor 2 report, which had just 

been published, had the potential to change 

policing for ever – and not for the better. 

Among my concerns was the plan to 

introduce compulsory redundancy for 

officers; an issue that is still hanging over us 

since a decision has been deferred until this 

July. 

On reading my column again, I find 

that my viewpoint has changed little. I still 

feel the two part report of Tom Winsor – 

now Chief Inspector at Her Majesty’s 

Inspectorate of Constabulary – could 

herald the end of our policing service as we 

know it. 

Everyone in policing is used to 

adapting. We have had to move with the 

times and to react to changes within 

society. However, I still feel many of the 

changes recommended by Winsor in his 

review of pay and conditions go way too far 

and fail to acknowledge our unique 

position in society or our status as servants 

of the Crown rather than employees. I 

make no apology for repeating what I said 

in April 2012: 

We are not employees. We swear 

allegiance to the Crown. We have 

restrictions placed on us and, as such, we 

have a unique status in society. 

It was this issue that led to the Police 

Federation ballot throughout February in 

which members were asked if they wanted 

the national Federation to campaign for 

industrial rights for officers. The majority of 

West Midlands Police Federation members 

voted in favour of such a campaign. 

However, the Federation’s Joint Central 

Committee said it could only launch a 

campaign if more than half of its total 

membership of 133,108 voted in favour. 

And not even half (56,333) took part in the 

online poll – though 45,651 (81 per cent) 

did support seeking industrial rights. 

I would like to thank all our members 

who did take the time to vote. I understand 

4 


“ 

I would like to reassure you that we are doing 

everything we can to make sure that our members are 

treated fairly and we will continue to do so. 

that many of you will be disappointed by 

the result. However, please be assured that, 

regardless of the stance taken nationally, we 

can use the results of the ballot as part of 

our own lobbying of MPs and other 

stakeholders as we try to get your views 

across to key decision-makers. 

For instance, I have written to all our 

local MPs on the issue of pensions. As I am 

sure you are aware, police office pension 

contributions increased again from 1 April 

2013. Yet, just a couple of weeks before our 

increase came into effect, news came out 

that any increase to MPs’ own pension 

contributions had been suspended. 

Government ministers have talked 

repeatedly about fairness and we’ve all 

heard the ‘we’re all in this together’ mantra. 

But I cannot see the fairness in this and it 

really would appear that some of us are 

more in this than others. In my letter to the 

MPs, I referred to the number of officers 

within West Midlands Police Federation 

who had voted in favour of the Federation 

seeking industrial rights for officers. 

Personally, I am not convinced that 

officers do actually want to strike but I 

believe that many feel their voice is not 

being heard. They are seeing their pay cut, 

their pensions going up, their conditions of 

service changing considerably and they are 

frustrated. They want to get on with the job 

they signed up to do, but they feel that 

their unique status is not being respected. 

They are prepared to put their lives on the 

line to protect the communities they serve, 

but their efforts, they feel, are not being 

recognised. 

I would like to reassure you that we are 

doing everything we can to make sure that 

our members are treated fairly and we will 

continue to do so. 

Turning back to my April 2012 

article, I had managed to offer a glimmer 

of hope at the end of the article. At that 

time, I had met with three of the 

potential candidates for the first Police 

and Crime Commissioner elections 

scheduled for November 2012. As an 

aside, turn-out nationally for those 

elections was just 15 per cent. 

While I cannot recall which three 

potential candidates I had met at that stage, 

I did acknowledge that they seemed to 

understand the points I was making and 

seemed to want to engage with us. 

I would like to end with a similarly 

positive note this time and praise our Police 

and Crime Commissioner for his efforts to 

improve policing in the West Midlands 

and for engaging not just with the 

Federation but also the public. 

Mr Jones has just appointed a team of 

‘champions’, members of his Strategic 

Policing and Crime Board, who will take 

the lead in business areas such as Children 

and Young People, Business and 

Technology and New Media. Let’s hope we 

can benefit from their expertise in these 

areas. We wish them well. 


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Champions will help 

Force be efficient and 

effective 

By Bob Jones, 

Police and Crime 

Commissioner for the 

West Midlands 

I 

am pleased to 

announce new 

‘champion’ roles 

have been created 

to help make sure 

West Midlands Police is as efficient and 

effective as possible. 

Seven newly appointed members of the 

Strategic Policing and Crime Board have 

been put into lead champion roles. 

These are: 

l Faye Abbot, who is governor at two 

primary schools and has professional 

experience relating to skills, training and 

professional engagement - Children and 

Young People. 

l Brendan Connor is currently chairman 

of CENEX plc and adviser to Imperial 

Innovations plc and Lyceum Capital plc - 

Business. 

l Judy Foster led on Equalities and 

Human Rights for West Midlands Police 

Authority - Workforce. 

l Cath Hannon served for 32 years with 

West Midlands Police and was recognised 

in 2010 with the West Midlands 

Safeguarding Award for services to 

protecting children. Cath is currently a 

trustee for the Rape and Sexual Violence 

Project - Victims. 

l Ernie Hendricks worked in music and 

television before becoming a councillor, and 

has become well-known for his innovative 

approaches to community engagement and 

campaigning - Technology and New Media. 

l Mohammed Nazir is Chief Executive 

Officer with BME United Ltd which is a 

Third Sector ‘not for profit’ organisation - 

Diversity. 

l Tim Sawdon has been a councillor for 

39 years and has spent his working life as 

an ophthalmic optician in Coventry, and 

served for 10 years as a non-executive 

director of the University Hospital 

Coventry and Warwickshire NHS Trust - 

Health. 

The Strategic Policing and Crime 

Board needs to offer practical support and 

oversight to the Force in its efforts to 

reduce and detect crime. The Board is 

critical to maintaining links with local 

areas, holding the Force to account, and 

delivering the Policing and Crime Plan. 

The plan sets out ambitious milestones 

for reducing crime and protecting the 

public of the West Midlands, and we want 

to see people taking pride in our police. 

These objectives require co-ordination 

across many areas of policing activity, 

engagement with partners and a sustained 

commitment to listening and responding to 

the public. 

These champion roles are about making 

this happen. They are about making sure 

that West Midlands Police is as efficient 

and effective as possible, and exploits the 

skills and experience of the members of the 

Board. 

Unfortunately, my first open day had to 

be cancelled due to the unseasonal weather. 

The event, which was to be held at Lloyd 

House on Saturday 23 March was cancelled 

at the last minute due to weather warnings 

from the Met Office. 

Forecasts stated there would be heavy 

snowfall in Birmingham creating potential 

travel disruption and blizzard conditions 

and it just wouldn’t have been safe for it to 

go ahead. 

Both myself and deputy Police and 

Crime Commissioner Yvonne Mosquito 

were planning on attending. This event was 

all about breaking down the barriers 

between us at the PCC and members of 

the public. As I have said before, listening 

to the community is as the heart of my role 

as Police and Crime Commissioner and it 

would have been an ideal opportunity to 

get out there and meet the people who we 

are accountable to. Hopefully, another one 

can be arranged soon – along with some 

sunshine. 

Chief Constable Chris Sims and I are 

seeking an independent member to serve as 

the chair of the Joint Audit Committee. 

The Joint Audit Committee is the key to 

the delivery of effective governance, 

assurance, risk management and statutory 

financial duties. The closing date for 

applications is 15 April. 

Anyone can contact the casework team 

at the office on 0121 626 6060. The team 

can offer advice on policing and community 

safety matters to members of the public 

who are not sure who to contact. 

The public can also contact the PCC 

via www.westmidlands-pcc.gov.uk/ 

contact-the-pcc. I also hold regular one to 

one surgery sessions at which members of 

the public can meet me face to face and 

have their say. 


Financial 

headaches 

George Burrows puts a high priority 

on the welfare of you and your family. 

We are here to provide members of the 

Police Federation with free advice on 

many issues which may arise throughout 

their police career and into retirement. 

Caroline Harris is our specialist consultant money 

expert. She has 25 years’ hands-on experience working 

alongside the Police Force, so takes a practical and 

unbiased view of what benefits are available to you. 

Add to this her knowledge of what is available outside 

the force and you have a true one stop shop approach. 

Of course, any conversations with Caroline about your 

future welfare are completely confidential. She can 

provide you with a full MOT of your circumstances 

and a step-by-step plan of recommendations. 

…free advice is just a phone call away 

For more information, or to book an 

appointment at the Federation office, 

simply call: 

0121 700 1100 

“ 

Caroline came into my life with an air 

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Helen Walker, Police Widow 

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Caroline's patience and advice 

was invaluable. 

Yvonne Williams, Retired Police Constable 

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Officers will receive the highest standards 

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friendliness that Caroline always provides. 

Ivan Phillips, Retired Police Officer 

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It could be one of the most rewarding 

calls you make all year! 

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SD3773_B/16012013 


West Midlands officers 

want Fed to campaign 

for right to strike 

Amajority of members who voted 

in the national ballot want the 

Police Federation of England and 

Wales (PFEW) to campaign for 

industrial rights. 

In the West Midlands, 4,376 officers 

registered to vote out of a possible 7,651 

(45 per cent). And, of the officers who 

registered, 3,499 of them actually voted 

with 87.45 per cent voting in favour of 

PFEW campaigning for industrial rights. 

Just 12.55 per cent voted ‘no’. 

But, PFEW’s Joint Central Committee 

said it could only launch a campaign if 

more than half of its total membership of 

133,108 voted in favour. And not even half 

(56,333) took part in the online poll – 

though 45,651 (81 per cent) did support 

seeking industrial rights. 

Steve Williams, national Federation 

chairman, said: “A significant proportion of 

our membership has indicated that they 

want the right to take industrial action. 

This highlights the pressures currently felt 

by rank and file officers throughout 

England and Wales. 

“However, it would not be appropriate 

to undertake a course of action that could 

potentially change the employment status 

of more than 133,000 police officers if 

fewer than half of those officers have voted 

for us to do so. 

“Our members value their unique 

employment status as servants of the crown 

(the Office of Constable), and I believe the 

vast majority of them would view industrial 

action as a last resort. 

“However, the significant number that 

voted in favour of the right to take 

industrial action have done so in response 

to the reforms and changes to policing 

which are being proposed and implemented 

by the Government, and the impact those 

changes are having on officers’ ability to do 

their jobs and on their morale. 

“We have a duty to take these views 

into consideration and will now discuss 

them within our Central Committee. I 

would like to take this opportunity to 

thank every officer who voted for playing 

their part in the process.” 

Officers from all Federated ranks 

(police constable to chief inspector) had the 

opportunity to take part in the online ballot 

which ran throughout February. 

They were asked the question: “Do you 

wish for PFEW to seek the right for the 

police officers to take industrial action” 


Independent review 

of Federation - let us 

know your views 

The panel has been announced and 

the review is about to begin. It is 

now time for West Midlands Police 

Federation members to have their 

say on how the organisation operates. 

National Federation chairman Steve 

Williams announced before Christmas that 

an independent review panel would be 

appointed to look at the way the Federation 

works. 

The panel will be chaired by Sir David 

Normington GCB. He is a former Home 

Office permanent secretary and more 

recently became the first civil service 

commissioner and commissioner for public 

appointments. 

On his appointment, Sir David said: “I 

am very pleased to have been asked by the 

Police Federation to chair this review. 

“The Federation has a proud history of 

representing and negotiating on behalf of 

rank and file police officers but, like all 

organisations, the environment it operates 

in is continually changing. 

“I look forward to working with the other 

members of the review - each of whom 

brings important experience and expertise - 

to shape the future of an organisation which 

is and will remain an important partner in 

ensuring both the welfare and the efficiency 

of the police service.” 

Sitting on the panel are: 

l Sir Denis O’Connor CBE QPM 

– former Chief Inspector of 

Constabulary. Sir Denis has extensive 

policing experience at a senior 

command level and experience of the 

inter-relationship between all ranks and 

policing bodies. He sits on the Board of 

the College of Policing, having been 

appointed to the role by the Home 

Secretary. 

On the panel: Brendan Barber – former 

general secretary of the TUC. 

l Professor Linda Dickens MBE 

– professor of industrial relations at the 

University of Warwick. Prof Dickens 

has an acknowledged and extensive 

record of academic research in the field 

of management and employment 

relations. 

l Brendan Barber – former general 

secretary of the Trades Union Congress 

(TUC) who retired last year. He brings 

extensive experience of representing 

employees and leading a national trade 

union organisation. 

l Kathryn Kane OBE – former chair of 

the Police Federation’s Merseyside Joint 

Branch Board will be able to advise on 

Federation representation at both a 

force and regional level. 

l Dr Neil Bentley – CBI deputy director 

general and chief operating officer. Dr 

Bentley has an in-depth knowledge of 

the business community and a 

background in industrial relations, 

equality and diversity. 

West Midlands Police Federation now 

wants to hear the thoughts of its officers on 

how the Federation works. 

It is using the review as an opportunity 

to engage with members and ask for their 

views on the service the Fed officers. 

“We are looking to canvas the views 

and opinions of our members, with a view 

to providing subsequent input into the 

review of the Police Federation of England 

and Wales,” says Chris Jones, secretary of 

West Midlands Police Federation. 

“This is our members’ chance to have a 

say on how they view the national 

Federation and the work they do. Members 

don’t often get the opportunity to feedback 

at a national level, but this is their chance.” 

West Midlands Police Federation is 

specifically asking: 

As a member, do you agree that, at a 

national level, the Federation: 

Is a credible voice for rank and file police 

officers 

Has the ability to constructively influence 

public policy on crime and policing 

Provides genuine ownership of the 

organisation by police officers and effective 

communications between members and the 

Federation at all levels 

Provides value for money in respect of 

police officers’ subscriptions to the Police 

Federation of England and Wales 

Provides transparency of decision-making 

and subsequent action taken 

Members may also like to email their 

thoughts and views to 

westmidlandspf@polfed.org 

10 


Chairman’s assurance on review 

The review chairman has reassured 

doubters that he will carry out an ‘open and 

transparent’ review in which there will be 

‘plenty of opportunity’ for rank and file 

officers to express their views. 

Sir David Normington GCB, said: “I 

want to reassure members of the 

Federation that everyone involved with the 

review is determined to ensure it is 

independent, open and transparent. 

“As chairman, I have been given no 

hidden instructions about the review and I 

wouldn’t have accepted them if I had. 

“I am also determined that there will be 

plenty of opportunity for all those with an 

interest in the Federation and the officers it 

represents to give their views to the review. 

It will take a little time for the review to 

get underway but when it is we will let you 

know how you can submit your views in 

writing or in person.” 

RSA appointed 

as secretariat 

The Royal Society for the Arts (RSA) has 

been appointed to act as the secretariat to 

the Independent Review. 

Announcing the decision, the Police 

Federation of England and Wales said the 

RSA had a “unique reputation for high 

quality research and innovative practical 

projects which are both rigorous and 

completely independent”. 

Review’s aims 

The purpose of the review is to consider 

whether any changes are required to the 

Police Federation’s operation or structure 

so that it can continue to promote public 

good and represent the interests and 

welfare of its members and the efficiency 

of the police service. 

The review will look at what 

improvements are necessary to ensure 

PFEW: 

l Acts as a credible voice for rank and 

file police officers 

l Genuinely serves the public good as 

well as its members’ interests 

l Is able to influence public policy on 

crime and policing in a constructive 

manner 

l Is an example of organisational 

democracy and effective decisionmaking 

at its best allowing genuine 

ownership of the organisation by police 

officers and effective communication 

between members and the Federation 

at all levels 

l Is recognised as a world class leader in 

employee voice. 

The review will deliver its recommendations 

to the chairman and general secretary of 

the Police Federation of England and 

Wales. It will include: 

l Value for money in respect of police 

officers’ subscriptions to the PFEW 

l The unique position and 

responsibilities of the Office of 

Constable 

l The importance of enhancing public 

confidence in policing 

l The impact of its recommendations 

upon equality and diversity 

l Transparency of decision making 

and the subsequent action taken. 

The findings and recommendations will 

be released in a report by January 2014. 


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SD3775_A/12022013 


Tom Winsor to face 

Federation conference 

The agenda has yet to be released, 

but it is likely the most anticipated 

appearance at this year’s annual 

conference will be that of Tom 

Winsor. 

Mr Winsor, the new HM Chief 

Inspector of Constabulary and author of 

the review of police pay and conditions, has 

accepted an invitation to speak at the event, 

which is taking place in Bournemouth 

between May 14 and 16. 

The former rail regulator is not popular 

among rank and file officers after 

recommending huge changes to pay and 

conditions which have left many officers 

worse off. 

Having managed to avoid conference 

for the past two years, he will be speaking 

in front of hundreds of serving officers, 

many of whom will be angry and upset at 

what he has done to the police service. 

And Home Secretary Theresa May is 

also expected to attend despite being jeered 

and heckled at conference last year. 

Speaking in 2012 she told officers to 

‘stop pretending they were being picked on’. 

She said: “The cuts will be challenging, 

they will involve hard choices, but they are 

Tom Winsor. 

manageable and they are affordable. I know 

the Fed often say we’re singling out the 

police. But that simply isn’t true.” 

However, with the recent announcement 

that MPs’ pension increases were to be put 

on hold while officers’ increased, there is 

once again a feeling among many that police 

officers are being singled out and she could 

be in for a bumpy ride. 

The conference will begin on Monday 

afternoon (May 13) with the Women’s Eve 

of Conference meeting and there will be 

separate rank conferences on Tuesday 

morning. 

The main conference opens on Tuesday 

afternoon and Ms May will take the stand 

for her keynote speech on the Wednesday 

morning when conference delegates will be 

joined by hundreds of day visitors as 

observers. 

It is not yet known when Mr Winsor 

will address the delegates. 

Conference closes on Thursday 

afternoon with the annual general meeting. 

The slogan for this year’s event is “20|20 

Vision: Policing the Future Together.” 

Steve Williams, chairman of the Police 

Federation,said: “I believe this slogan 

perfectly illustrates our desire to work with 

all key policing stakeholders to ensure the 

best possible future for the police service, 

our members and the general public. 

“We hope to use the conference as a 

platform to build lasting, mutuallybeneficial 

relationships.” 

A full agenda is expected to be 

announced shortly. 

A full report on this year’s Police 

Federation conference will be published in 

the next edition of Federation magazine 

which is due out in June. 


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VIEWPOINT 

In a new magazine feature, we asked Federation members for their views on a key topical 

issue. It was announced at the latest meeting of the Police Federation’s Joint Branch Board 

chairs and secretaries that at this year’s national conference, the Home Secretary Theresa 

May would only answer questions submitted in advance of her keynote speech and that Tom 

Winsor would not be answering questions about his two reports. Therefore, we asked some of 

our members the questions they would put to the Home Secretary, Mr Winsor and the 

Federation’s national chairman if they could. 

Tom Cuddeford 

Full-time Federation representative 

Deputy chair of the JBB 

25 years’ service 

Theresa May: When your Government came 

to power you said this country had the best 

police service in the world and you would fully 

support the police service. However, since this 

time, your Government has systematically cut 

the police budget and police numbers and 

morale is at its lowest it has ever been. Do you 

still consider us the best police service and 

have you reneged on your promise of 

supporting the police service 

The Police Minister: Don’t you think security 

should start at home Then why is the 

Overseas Aid budget ring-fenced and 

increasing, while cuts in policing mean less 

officers protecting our communities 

Tom Winsor: What are your thoughts on 

providing PCSOs with more ‘powers’, similar 

to the Office of Constable Is this just 

policing on the cheap 

The Federation chairman: What is your 

vision of the Federation in five years and 10 

years’ time 

DC Brent Di Cesare 

Economic Crime Team - Force CID 


I’m more than happy to provide plenty of 

questions to the persons mentioned, however, 

the main priority for myself and those 

colleagues around my level of service is a 

financial one. This “We’re in it together” myth 

that circulates Government, the public and 

even our own police service is becoming 

rather insulting now so I think this is a very 

relevant question to Theresa May, the Police 

Minister, Tom Winsor and the Federation 

chairman. 

With the current divide and conquer 

tactics working well within the police service 

we now have a situation whereby a police 

officer with nine years’ service who has faced 

no generic public sector pay rise for two years, 

no incremental pay rise for two years and 

pension contribution increases for the two 

years is in real terms down £500 a month. 

That’s not a misprint, £500 a month! 

With the Government announcing 

minimal yearly pay increases of one per cent - 

not even half of predicted inflation - and 

further increment freezes, coupled with 

further increases in pension contributions, 

how exactly does this Government and the 

Police Federation expect police officers to 

survive when they are losing up to £700 a 

month by 2015 And does it sit right with 

them that they are inflicting health 

threatening stress and anguish on those police 

officers and effectively subjecting them to 

financial ruin” 

Pete Harkness 

Wolverhampton 


Theresa May: You have stated you will always 

back us and fight us, but I am yet to see any 

evidence of that. I have had my pay 

increments frozen for the nearly three years, 

had my pension contributions increase twice 

in two years and had my SPP removed from 

me. Why am I, like other constables, being 

attacked I understand that we all have to 

make sacrifices in times of hardship but from 

my perspective I feel like hard-working 

constables are being attacked more than most. 

Tell me, why should I trust you 

The Police Minister: What are you going to 

do to increase the morale in the police service 

With all of the budget cuts, pay freezes, 

increase in pension contributions, your officers 

are feeling under-appreciated. 

Tom Winsor: Your report has been deemed 

by many to be the most destructive and 

divisive review into British policing since 

policing began. How are we meant to have 

trust and confidence in you as our 

inspectorate How can you, with little 

knowledge of what a police officer actually 

does, lead us into the future 

The Federation chairman: Why did you, 

without proper backing of your electorate, 

order an independent review into the Police 

Federation 

Jason Wathes 

Birmingham South 


The Federation chairman: What is the 

Federation doing to push for forces to 

produce accurate pension forecasts for those 

affected by the pension changes My Force 

tell me it’s ‘all up in the air, no one knows’. 

Officers need to know what their lump sums 

and likely pension will be. The pension 

calculator is too vague and doesn’t show lump 

sum. It has mortgage implications for many. 

Continued on Page 16 


Continued from Page 15 

Mike Bradley 

Wolverhampton 


Theresa May and/or Police Minister: It is 

currently perfectly legal for anyone to swear at 

a police officer. This is because since R vs 

ORUM it has been deemed that officers 

cannot feel harassment, alarm or distress (as 

required by S5 or 4a Public Order) unless 

there are exceptional circumstances. Currently, 

officers who are sworn at need to find 

evidence that a member of the public has 

suffered harassment, alarm or distress. I would 

hope that you would agree that this is morally 

wrong and that something is done about it, for 

example, making it an offence for anyone to 

use threatening, abusive or insulting behaviour 

to a police officer/PCSO. Will you do 

something about it It would be nice to think 

that someone in Government is actually on 

our side. 

Daniel Halford 

Force CID 


David Cooper 

Professional Standards 


Andy Fleming 

Force CID 


1. Why in these austere times with massive 

cuts on police budgets do we still have 43 

Chief Constables and probably around 120 

DCCs and ACCs. SX (Colindale LPU) in the 

Met is run by a Commander and in terms of 

establishment is the 16th biggest police force 

in the country! How can the Home Office 

justify their wages at this time Collaboration 

does not produce the savings that 

regionalisation could. 

2. How does the College Of Policing justify 

having a “footprint” in London with all the 

costs associated with that, when its head office 

is Ryton 

3. As the Home Secretary is beating us with 

the “integrity” stick (and trust me it’s coming 

down the line), what is being done to address 

the lack of integrity of MPs (expenses scandal, 

Leverson Inquiry, Chris Huhne etc) 

16 

The police service has undergone 

unprecedented reforms to pay and conditions 

through the Winsor review, in addition, 

unprecedented public sector pension reforms 

through the Independent Public Service 

Pensions Commission (The Hutton Review), 

which represents a disproportionate 

disadvantage for police officers, when 

considering the current levels of employer 

contributions for main unfunded public 

service schemes and the Government’s 

proposed employer contributions. The 

reduction in employer contributions is over 

four times that faced by civil servants, teachers 

and NHS workers. 

How can these reforms be regarded as fair 

or even handed in the context of the ‘ring 

fencing’ of MPs’ pay and pensions Are MPs 

not also public servants and should they not 

also imminently be subject to the ‘fair’ reforms 

to pay and pensions 

Jonathan Jones 

Force CID 


I would like to ask what research has been 

commissioned by the Home Office which 

supports the notion that a normal pension age 

of 60 is likely to be achieved by most officers 

given the particular physical demands of our 

job 

This question is set in the context of the 

recent Dr Williams report commissioned by 

the Government with regard to normal 

pension age in the fire service. 

Home Secretary or Police Minister: If 

compulsory severance is implemented, will the 

Home Secretary/Police Minister guarantee 

that officers on the verge (i.e within five years) 

of being entitled for a pension (either at 25 or 

30 years) are not selected (as happened in the 

armed services cuts) 


compulsory severance is implemented, will 

police officers become employees and not 

Crown servants If not employees, how will 

officers be protected under current or new 

employment law 


compulsory severance is implemented for 

police officers, will there be an enhanced 

(above current civil service severance scheme) 

severance package offered to reflect the unique 

status of the Office of Constable to include a 

lump sum payment AND added extra 

contributions added onto pension entitlement 

(i.e five years) 

Federation chairman: If compulsory 

severance is implemented for police officers, 

will there be a second ballot on industrial 

rights for police officers 


Paul Gwinnett 

e Forensics 


Would you yourself carry out your duties of 

protecting life and property (as shown by 

Officers in the riots of 2011) when you face a 

risk of being injured, restricted and being 

made redundant, when there are no 

guarantees in place of being protected against 

loss of income, mortgage and family home 

Sally Holmes 

Force Contact 


Do you think that the Home Office is fooling 

itself with reporting on the same crime figures 

now as in the 1970s - BDH, car crime and 

robbery 

Do we not need to reflect changes within 

organised criminality to prioritise and report 

on matters such as trafficking (always treated 

as an aside, not among primary crime data), 

prostitution (to encourage forces to take a 

proactive stance on the seedier side of the 

plethora of lap dancing clubs), cannabis farms 

and illegal labour. At present, the general 

public can see these activities all around them, 

yet they do not feature as Force priorities, in 

even the Metropolitan Forces. Organised 

crime gangs have moved on but we have 

failed to keep up! 

PC Khan 

Birmingham West & Central 


Tom Winsor and Theresa May: 

1. In light of the current financial climate, why 

is it that police officers are having to pay more 

into their pension and had restricted or no 

payments for the rate of inflation, when the 

MPs seem to have a gold-plated pension and 

aren’t being affected Surely an increase in 

pension payments was meant for all public 

sector workers 

2. The current morale of officers is low, as we 

are being treated unfairly. We have no clarity 

on what is going to happen to officers’ pay 

once the job-related incremental freeze is over. 

As you would have saved two years’ worth of 

payments, are we going to jump up to what 

we by right should be on or are you going to 

mock us further 

Dean Woodcock 

Birmingham East 


As we the police service have all taken a ‘hit’ 

with our pension contributions and end result, 

are the panel taking an equal part in our 

country’s recovery and increasing their 

pension contribution and receiving less at the 

end of their service 

Dan Lagorio 


How is it fair that I pay about £400 a month 

into my pension for an extra 10 years, totalling 

£48,000, to receive £50,000 less than I was 

expecting at the end of my service In effect, I 

am having to pay the Government £100,000 

to work for another decade. 

Mark Hickman 

Birmingham South 


Tom Winsor: On morning TV, Winsor said 

that the pay gaps between officers was too 

wide. He used the example of two officers 

being threatened with a knife and dealing 

with the incident. He pointed out that the pay 

of the officers could be considerably different. 

The range could now be, say from £20k to 

£37k. The reforms that he proposed have done 

nothing to close that gap and, in fact, with the 

lower starting salaries have widened the gap. 

Why did he say that that was his intention 

Secondly, why has rent or housing 

allowance been allowed to remain How can 

it be fair to give officers that extra money for 

doing the same job. It reinforces the notion 

that Winsor has not been fair in his proposals 

and has done nothing really to close the gap 

between officers pay scale like he said that he 

would. 

Pete Rowe 

Sandwell 


I think my question to them all would be 

given no doubt further spending cuts to police 

budgets - when do they think forces will start 

meaningful recruitment and, in the absence of 

such, how will policing cope with the 

three-year and increasing void of no new 

recruits 

Deb Valentine 

Lloyd House 

I would like to know what happens to 

part-time officers and officers who have taken 

unpaid maternity leave in the pension 

calculations 

Are part-time workers going to be 

discriminated against as their full pension date 

is extended due to their hours of work Is the 

pension calculation date going to be the end 

of 30 years’ service as if they were full-time or 

when they reach 30 full pensionable years on 

part-time hours 

What about unpaid maternity leave Will 

that be taken into account as before a date in 

time this was only applicable to women 

PC Cunnion 

Birmingham East 

I feel the Government is constantly taking 

liberties what with our pay, pensions and 

conditions. I don’t know if it would be 

acceptable to raise the question about working 

the 30 minutes for Queen and country for 

nothing. I believe we are the only organisation 

that do this. I feel that this is a little outdated 

now. 


No change to MPs’ 

pensions as officers’ 

contributions rise 

Police officer pension contributions 

increased on 1 April – just weeks 

after it was announced MPs would 

not have to pay more into their 

pension pots for the time being. 

As of 1 April, members of the Police 

Pension Scheme will see their contributions 

go up by 1.25 per cent to 13.5 per cent 

while those in the New Police Pension 

Scheme will be paying 11.5 per cent, an 

increase of one per cent. 

Yet, a rise in MPs’ own pension 

contributions has been deferred. 

Steve White, Police Federation of 

England and Wales vice-chair, said when 

increases affecting both police pension 

schemes were confirmed by the Home 

Office: “The increases to police officer 

pension contributions confirmed by the 

Government are unjustified and 

unaffordable for our members. 

“Police officers already pay a higher 

contribution rate than the majority of other 

public sector workers on comparable 

salaries. 

“It is extremely disappointing that 

Government has seen fit to implement 

these increases a week after it was decided 

that a rise in MPs’ own pension 

contributions is to be deferred.” 

Nest egg 

“ 

It 

is extremely disappointing that Government has 

seen fit to implement these increases a week after it 

was decided that a rise in MPs’ own pension 

contributions is to be deferred. 

18 


Federation chairman 

tackles MPs over pensions 

On the back of the pension 

announcement, West Midlands Police 

Federation chairman Ian Edwards has 

written to local MPs outlining the 

unfairness and asking them to represent 

the views of members during any future 

debates on further cuts to policing. 

He writes: 

I am writing this letter to thank you for all 

the support you have given to West 

Midlands Police Federation and its 

members – the rank and file police officers of 

the region – over the last two years; two 

years that have been particularly 

challenging for the police service. 

With the effects of the Winsor Report 

starting to be felt by our members, we are all 

doing our best to keep up with the fast pace 

of reform while enduring a pay freeze, a 

halt on incremental pay progression, changes 

to our conditions of service and a significant 

reduction in our numbers, bringing us down 

to an 11-year low. 

Our members joined up to provide an 

effective policing service for the communities 

they serve. They are engaged in fighting and 

preventing crime, protecting the vulnerable 

and keeping order. They do this day in, day 

out, often putting their own lives on the 

line. In return for the unique place they hold 

in society, they expect to be treated fairly by 

Government. 

Sadly, many members of West Midlands 

Police Federation do not currently feel that is 

the case. They cite, as an example, the fact that 

officers serving in Scotland and the Police 

Service of Northern Ireland are being paid 

substantially higher wages than rank and file 

officers in England and Wales. 

But, I am afraid, it is the issue of their 

pension that is causing most concern. At the 

start of April, officers face an increase in their 

pension contributions – members of the Police 

Pension Scheme will see their contributions go 

up by 1.25 per cent to 13.5 per cent while 

those in the New Police Pension Scheme will 

be paying 11.5 per cent, an increase of one per 

cent. They have listened to several senior 

politicians talk of the need for us all to play our 

part in tackling the country’s economic climate. 

I believe police officers accept that they do need 

to play their part; to take their share of the 

pain. However, just as they prepare to pay 

more into their pensions, they hear that plans 

to increase MPs’ own pension contributions 

have been suspended. How does this sit with 

the ‘we are all in this together’ mantra of the 

Government Can officers reasonably be 

expected conclude that this is fair 

Last May, I sat with other Police 

Federation delegates at the national conference 

in Bournemouth when the Home Secretary 

Theresa May told officers to ‘stop pretending 

they were being picked on’. She said: “The cuts 

will be challenging, they will involve hard 

choices, but they are manageable and they 

are affordable. I know the Fed often say 

we’re singling out the police. But that 

simply isn’t true.” I would now argue that 

officers would believe those words more 

easily if MPs were also facing increases to 

their pensions since this would clearly 

illustrate that we are all in this together. 

But instead officers feel that they are not 

being treated fairly and that with recent 

reforms making them more like employees 

than servants of the Crown they should 

have the same rights and protections as 

other workers. In a national ballot 

conducted by the Police Federation of 

England and Wales, 3,060 West Midlands, 

officers – representing 87.45 per cent of 

those who voted – wanted the Federation 

to pursue industrial rights. I believe this 

shows how strongly officers feel about how 

they are being treated. 

Finally, I would just like to repeat my 

thanks to you for your support over the last 

few years and hope that you can help 

represent the views of my members during 

any future debates on further cuts to 

policing, more increases to our pensions and 

other measures that will disproportionately 

affect the country’s police officers. 


Winsor 2 - negotiations 

continue 

By Gary Nuttall 

Information & Research Officer 

T: 0121 700 1100 

The following recommendations are some of 

those currently being discussed at the Police 

Negotiating Board (PNB) and the Home 

Secretary has put a date of 24 July 2013 for 

agreement to be reached. 

In addition to Tom Winsor, the principal 

author of this review, Sir Edward Crew, QPM 

and Professor Richard Disney, Professor of 

Labour Economics, acted as advisers. 

Professor Disney compiled research and 

conducted analysis to support the review. 

l Recommendation 55 – Pay Points 6, 7, 

and 9 should be removed from the 

existing constables’ pay scale in April 2014, 

2015, and 2016 respectively. This will 

allow constables to move to the maximum 

more quickly and ensure that the current 

and new pay scales merge in 2016. 

l Recommendation 56 – Pay Point 0 of the 

current sergeants’ pay scale should be 

removed from April 2014 to ensure that 

sergeants are always paid more than 

constables, consistent with the greater 

responsibilities of the job. 

l Recommendation 71 – The deployment 

component of the police officer ‘X Factor’ 

should be established to be eight per cent 

of basic pay for constables. For other 

ranks, it should be expressed in cash terms, 

benchmarked at eight per cent of the 

maximum of constables’ basic pay. 

l Recommendation 84 – Pay progression 

for officers in the Federated ranks should 

be subject to a satisfactory box marking in 

the annual appraisal. Those officers who 

receive a box marking of ‘satisfactory 

contribution’ or above should advance by 

one pay increment; those who receive an 

‘unsatisfactory contribution’ box marking 

should remain on the same pay point for a 

further year. This should be introduced for 

sergeants, inspectors and chief inspectors 

in 2014/15 and for constables in 2015/16. 

Relationship between the pay scales on the 

Federated ranks 

Winsor believes the difference between 

constable and sergeant pay should increase 

(not by reducing the constable salary). He 

believes the difference between sergeant and 

inspector is about right as is the difference 

between chief inspector and superintendent. 

Winsor sets the scene with the following: 

‘The basic structures of the present system of police 

officer pay were established in 1920. Pay scales are 

long and in most cases there is no appreciable link 

between pay and competence or the acquisition of 

new skills. A new approach is needed for both 

police officers and staff that replaces a culture of 

entitlement on the basis of time-service with one 

which recognises skills and professionalism. Such a 

step would be radical, but it is overdue, and will 

lead to a better service for the public and better 

value for taxpayers.’ 

Recruitment and retention 

The principal purpose of pay is to provide 

sufficient reward to recruit and retain officers 

of the right quality. 

In his economic analysis for this report 

and its predecessor (Part 1), Professor Disney 

has found that the police service does not 

have any recruitment difficulties and has not 

had serious difficulties in that respect for 

many years. In support of this view, the 

Institute for Fiscal Studies found that officers 

have one of the lowest rates of departure from 

public sector employment. 

Disney then compared officer pay to other 

emergency occupations and comparable ranks 

in the armed forces. According to this 

comparison, constables and sergeants on 

average earn 10 to 15 per cent more than 

other emergency occupations. 

Winsor then goes on to review and 

comment on the current spinal points for 

constables and specifically on the legality of 

lengthy spinal pay points as a method of 

reward. Winsor cites employment tribunal 

case law that potentially outlaws lengthy 

spinal points as gender based discrimination 

can result. 

Winsor outlines and reviews the pay 

structures and pay rates of other public sector 

workers, notably nurses, teachers and prison 

officers. 

In support of his review Winsor has also 

used police Activity Analysis surveys from 

2003 to 2008, as well as crime recording and 

incident data. 

Winsor’s conclusions on pay 

Basic pay for the Federated ranks is a critical 

issue. The Federated ranks make up a very 

significant majority of the police officer 

workforce, and their pay accounts for 

approximately 98 per cent of the police officer 

salary bill. The Federated ranks are, of course, 

central to the success of policing in England 

and Wales. The history of police pay shows 

that when basic pay is set at the wrong level, it 

can cause recruitment and retention 

difficulties which damage the service provided 

to the public, as well as the morale of police 

officers. 

My overall views on basic pay for the 

Federated ranks are summarised below: 

l The constables’ pay scale should be made 

shorter, so as better to reflect the length of 

time over which increases in experience 

lead to improvements in competence; 

l The constables’ pay scale should start at a 

lower rate than present, but officers should 

move more quickly to the maximum; 

l Pay progression in all ranks should be on 

the basis of satisfactory contribution and 

the demonstration of the acquisition of 

the necessary skills, knowledge and 

experience; 

l The pay of sergeants, inspectors and chief 

inspectors is at the correct levels and 

should be maintained at those levels; 

l There should be gaps between the pay 

scales of each of the Federated ranks to 

reflect the increased responsibilities 

undertaken at each successively higher 

rank (i.e. no overlap and genuine reward 

for additional responsibility). 

Having listened to the Federation and 

Superintendents’ Association, Winsor 

20 


concludes six years is an appropriate 

timeframe for a constable to achieve full 

competence in that rank. 

Constables’ basic pay 

Winsor recommends the number of 

constables’ spinal points is reduced. 

Winsor then comments on his terms of 

reference including the necessity for fairness 

to the taxpayer, officers and staff and that pay 

restraint will allow the retention of overall 

numbers. Prof Disney’s evidence suggests that 

in some parts of the country constables are 

paid more than necessary to attract and retain 

officers of the right calibre. 

Winsor argues there are four ways to 

restrain the cost of employing constables: 

reduce the minimum pay on the scale 

(important to recruitment), reduce the 

maximum pay on the scale (important to 

retention), reduce the rate of progression up 

the scale or reduce the number of constables 

who progress up the scale. 

Winsor does say now is not the time to 

reduce the maximum rate of constables’ basic 

pay. Winsor cites the current economic 

situation, the potential for de-motivation and 

financial pressures as the rationale for this 

decision. However, Winsor also ‘warns’ of 

recommendations around a new pay body and 

further reviews, including maximum pay is 

‘hard to justify in those areas of the UK with 

less competitive labour markets’. 

Constables’ skills 

ACPO has made the case for police pay 

being reformed to reflect the acquisition of 

skills. 

Winsor agrees that the pay structure 

should reward an individual who acquires 

and uses new skills that allow him to make a 

greater contribution to the service. Pay 

progression which is linked to competent 

performance and continuous professional 

development will help to end the culture of 

entitlement whereby officers are paid more 

for simply having served another year. 

Winsor also recommends a Foundation 

Skills Threshold test which is designed to 

ensure constables have mastered the basic 

skills of policing at a mid-point in the pay 

scale and that further pay progression will 

depend on successful completion. A second 

more stringent test, the Specialist Skills 

Threshold test, would allow access to the 

final pay point but will not apply to all roles. 

Winsor’s constables’ pay scales would 

start at £19,000 at the point of recruitment 

and progress to the current upper limit, 

£36,519 in six years after completion of the 

probationary period, the Foundation Skills 

Threshold test and the Specialist Skills 

Threshold test. As not all roles will attract 

the Specialist Skills Threshold and associated 

enhanced pay that would,in effect, cap some 

constables’ pay at £31,032. 

Recruits that obtain a pre-entry 

qualification would start at a higher point on 

the scale. Progression will also depend on 

competence assessed at PDR. 

Winsor expects the new Police 

Professional Body to establish the curricula 

and test for the Specialist Skills Threshold test 

and for the Foundation Skills Threshold test 

and expects the tests to be in place for 2018 

and 2015 respectively. 

Sergeants’ pay scale 

Winsor applies the same principles of fairness 

to sergeants’ pay and uses Prof Disney’s 

research to suggest sergeants’ are paid more 

than ‘white collar’ professionals’ with formal 

educational qualifications. Winsor also points 

out there is no evidence of recruitment or 

retention problems at the sergeant rank. 

Winsor does not recommend reducing 

sergeants’ pay for two reasons; firstly as 

sergeants’ pay is butt ended with that of 

constables any reduction would result in 

sergeants being paid less than some 

constables. Secondly, Winsor believes it is 

important sergeants ‘take on a greater 

management and leadership role within the 

police service’. 

Sergeants’ pay scales will also have a 

Specialist Skills Threshold and this should 

reflect the ‘skills, knowledge and experience 

acquired over three years of professional 

development in rank’. 

Winsor recommends Pay Point 0 for 

sergeants is removed and that the new pay 

review body considers increasing the pay 

differential between constable and sergeant to 

reflect the line management and leadership 

responsibilities. 

So, the number of spinal points will be 

reduced and time-based progression will be 

replaced by contribution-related pay 

progression. 

My observations and comment on pay scales 

The Federation appears to be a lone voice 

arguing for incremental scales based on length 

of service. All the other contributors argue for 

competence or contribution-related pay. 

While I understand the principle, I 

believe there are inherent dangers when 

officers are paid differently. Contributionrelated 

pay will end discretion. What gets 

counted gets done. If officers are paid more to 

make arrests or issues tickets that is exactly 

what will happen and that will increase the 

risk of alienating the public. 

NIM business principles only work if we 

effectively collect the ‘I’, i.e. intelligence. The 

public only supply intelligence if there is trust 

and confidence in the police. If the public are 

arrested for every minor infringement of the 

law the flow of intelligence is put at risk. The 

knock-on effect is a reduced ability to tackle 

Level 2, serious and organised crime. 

Contribution-related pay could 

undermine our ability to tackle the greatest 

harm causers. 

Quantifying the officer ‘X Factor’ 

In Chapter 5, it is recommended that officers 

who are not deployable and are not capable of 

undertaking a role requiring the office of 

constable should lose the ‘X Factor’ from their 

salary. This section defines the ‘X Factor’ and 

quantifies its deployment element, arriving at 

a recommendation for the amount of salary 

that should be withdrawn from officers who 

cannot be deployed to any role requiring the 

use of police powers. 

In his report, Winsor recommends the 

proportion of officer basic pay that 

compensates for the deployment and danger 

elements of the ‘X Factor’ and that should be 

withdrawn from the minority of officers who 

will not be able to pass the test regarding 

deployment into dangerous situations. In 

2010/2011, 6,137 officers were on restricted 

duties so that is the maximum number of 

officers who would be affected. 

Winsor acknowledges all the other 

elements of the ‘X Factor’ apply to all officers 

regardless of restriction and only those 

elements of the ‘X Factor’ that are affected by 

a restriction should be withdrawn. The 

purpose of quantifying the deployment and 

danger elements of the ‘X Factor’ is to 

establish how much can be withdrawn from 

these officers. 

As the danger and deployment elements 

are the only elements of the ‘X Factor’ that 

can be withdrawn, those are the only elements 

to which Winsor attaches a specific monetary 

value. 

Winsor then uses Prof Disney’s research 

to quantify the deployment ‘X Factor’ of eight 

per cent of a constables’ basic pay. 

Currently, eight per cent of the current 

maximum constables’ pay is £2,922 and 

Winsor recommends that amount is 

withdrawn from all officers who cannot meet 

the test set out in Chapter 5 of his report. 

Chapter 5 initially refers to the recruit 

fitness test, ‘5:4 in the shuttle run, 

Continued on Page 22 


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Continued from Page 21 

demonstrating their level of endurance and 

they should also be able to push 34 kilograms 

and pull 35 kilograms to demonstrate their 

dynamic strength’. Winsor later makes 

reference to the more stringent PSNI fitness 

test but suggests 2018 as an implementation 

date. 

Winsor does say the ‘X Factor’ should be 

pensionable so if an officer cannot pass the 

test and has the deployment ‘X Factor’ 

withdrawn that will affect their pension. 

My observations and comments 

Winsor comments that the public would be 

surprised that officers do not have an annual 

fitness test. Well, the simple truth is, until 

now, we have not. The majority of us that are 

able to do so keep ourselves fit. 

The implementation of an annual fitness 

test will cause significant anxiety for some 

officers, most notably the 6,000 plus officers 

currently on restricted duties. Not only will 

there be a financial impact attached to failure 

of a fitness test but Chapter 5 also links fitness 

test failure to discipline and UPP. Please 

remember, these are only recommendations at 

this time. 

Winsor and the Government need to 

recognise some officers will not be able to pass 

the fitness test through no fault of their own 

and some will not pass as a direct result of 

injuries sustained in the line of duty. I smile 

when Winsor suggests greater use of ill-health 

retirements, isn’t that the opposite of the last 

five years 

I believe it is highly likely some elements 

of Winsor proposals could be subject of legal 

challenge under the Disability Discrimination 

Act and gender-based discrimination 

legislation. 

My observations and Winsor’s review of 

appraisals 

Winsor aims to improve the fairness of pay 

progression by linking it to competent 

performance and, rather than incentivising 

high performers with monetary rewards, he 

recommends addressing poor performers. The 

Federation believes all appraisal of 

performance must be linked to a ‘robust, 

transparent and fair’ appraisal system. 

I absolutely agree with, and support, a fair, 

robust and transparent appraisal system, 

especially as that now takes on greater 

significance if pay progression is linked to it. 

Winsor then goes on to review and 

comment on the failure of appraisal systems 

historically, up to and including the ICF. I 

agree most appraisal systems are poor and far 

too bureaucratic and if pay progression is 

linked to appraisal then the process must 

improve. Winsor believes the new NPIA 

appraisal system is a ‘useful development’ and 

would ‘serve as an effective foundation’ for pay 

progression. 

Winsor emphasises the importance of 

managers being properly trained in the use of 

appraisal and that managers should be 

supported by senior officers. 

Winsor believes in a comparative process 

(forced distribution) whereby officers are 

assessed in one of three categories: 

l High performers – the top 10 per cent, 

these officers should be considered for 

intensive development programmes. 

l Effective – the middle 80 per cent of the 

distribution. Competent officers who 

make up the bulk of the workforce. 

l Less effective – the bottom 10 per cent 

and, other than in exceptional 

circumstances, UPP should be considered 

for these officers. 

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Axel’s life-saving skills 

recognised at Crufts 

A 

German shepherd police dog bred 

and trained by the Force’s dog 

section won a Humanitarian Action 

Award at Crufts, the world’s leading 

dog show. 

Axel is now working in Fife and was 

given the award after leading his handler on a 

four-hour track to find a woman who was 

missing after falling down a 60 feet ravine in a 

remote wood. 

“I am really pleased to hear that Axel is 

doing so well and that his skills have been 

recognised in this way,” says Dave Raymond, 

West Midlands Police dog trainer. 

“He was 18 months old when he left here 

but was already showing great qualities as a 

working dog. He loved chasing, was incredibly 

focused and could pick up and follow a scent. 

That said, it sounds like the track to find this 

lady was incredible. In those four hours, he 

would have covered some distance. 

“We would have liked to have kept him 

here as part of our team but at the point 

where he had completed his training and was 

ready to go out on operational duties all our 

dog handlers had dogs. Having passed him on 

to another force, it is great that he has become 

such an asset to them.” 

Axel and his handler, PC Craig Menzies, 

Hero Axel as a puppy. 

were presented with their award on the 

closing day of Crufts which was held at the 

NEC in Birmingham from 7 to 10 March. 

Police said that the missing woman, a 

58-year-old walker, may not have survived if 

Axel had not led them to her. He followed her 

scent after his handler found her umbrella on 

a coastal path. 

Axel took him over a golf course, through 

a swollen stream and to bushes where the 

woman’s cries for help were heard. 

Axel was bred out of the dog section’s 

main stud dog, Tag. 

“Tag has an impeccable temperament and 

is a very effective and efficient working dog. 

He’s passed on these attributes to his 

offspring, with more than 100 dogs he has 

sired now working as operational police dogs, 

helping officers fight crime, control 

disturbances and find missing people,” says 

Dave Raymond. 

The Force has the largest police dog 

breeding scheme in the UK and more than 80 

per cent of the dogs put through the training 

programme go on to become operational 

police dogs. 

Puppy walkers wanted! 

With three new litters due and one born at the training centre in the last month, the 

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Local news round-up 

Officers urged to take part in stress survey 

Officers are being reminded to take part in 

stress survey which will be rolled out soon. 

A similar survey was conducted last 

year and the results of the two will be 

compared to see if there have been any 

improvements to officer stress levels. 

The 2012 survey, designed to find out 

how ongoing changes to policing are 

affecting officers, revealed that many are 

suffering from increased stress levels due to 

lack of communication and consultation 

surrounding change. 

The online questionnaire was 

completed by a total of 2,026 officers who 

answered questions on seven aspects of 

work including demands, control, peer 

support, managerial support and change. 

More than half of the West Midlands 

Police officers who responded to the survey 

reported they were already above the 

threshold for burn-out, increasing their 

sickness levels, exposing them to risks at 

work and affecting their ability to provide 

an effective service to the public. 

Chris Jones, secretary of West 

Midlands Police Federation said: “Please 

take the time to fill in this survey so we can 

see if things have improved one year on. 

We need to know if officers are still feeling 

as stressed as they were, if things are still 

the same or, in fact worse. 

“With the results of the first survey 

having been analysed, we will have a 

benchmark for comparison which will 

make the findings even more interesting. 

We hope that stress levels have reduced but 

if not we will be seeking some urgent 

changes.” 

Remembering Mark with charity walk 

Two officers are preparing to take part in a 

charity walk in memory of a colleague. 

DC 4493 Mark Simmons (49) passed away 

suddenly and unexpectedly in June 2012. 

He was a keen hill walker and loved to 

spend time in Cumbria and particularly 

Ambleside. 

Now two of his colleagues and friends 

Paul Griffiths and Steve Lenton have 

organised an 18-mile charity hill walk to 

raise money for the mountain rescue teams 

of Langdale and Ambleside. It follows a 

route previously taken by Mark. 

Tom Cuddeford, deputy chairman of 

West Midlands Police Federation said: 

“Mark had many friends and his infectious 

laugh and mischievous grin touched the 

hearts and minds of all who knew him. It 

was clear to anyone that knew him that his 

world revolved around his beloved wife, 

Sue. 

“I joined the Force with Mark in 1988 

and have some excellent memories of the 

times we shared together, both inside and 

outside the job. 

“Together with his many friends, we 

wish to provide an opportunity to 

demonstrate to Sue that Mark made a 

difference to many people and that his 

contribution to the job, his colleagues and 

the public, will not be forgotten.” 

If you are interested in joining the walk 

please contact Paul Griffiths on 07878 

191324. 

‘A selfless and 

humble man’ 

West Midlands Police Federation 

chairman Ian Edwards was among 

those to pay tribute to Chris Findley, 

the 33-year-old West Midlands PC 

who died in February. 

Chris was off duty when he suffered 

serious head injuries after intervening 

in an incident outside a 

Wolverhampton bar on 28 January. 

An 18-year-old has been charged 

with manslaughter. 

“His colleagues have described 

Chris as a selfless and humble man,” 

says Ian, “Our thoughts are with his 

family, friends and colleagues at this 

sad time. He will be sadly missed.” 

Chief Inspector Paul Betts said: 

“He is fondly described by his 

colleagues as a selfless and humble 

man, always watching out for those in 

need of cheering up, which he achieved 

through his warm, infectious 

personality and sense of humour. 

“Chris was a proactive, hardworking 

officer who was a credit to the 

service and the communities of 

Sandwell.’’ 

West Midlands police and crime 

commissioner Bob Jones said: “I wish 

to express my sincere condolences to 

Chris’s colleagues, friends and family, 

and I hope that the investigation into 

his death reaches a swift and successful 

conclusion.” 

Are your details up to date 

Members of the Federation’s Group 

Insurance Scheme are being urged to check 

that the details held for them – particularly 

any beneficiaries – are up to date. 

This is particularly important if you 

have just got married, separated or divorced. 

Please inform West Midlands Police 

Federation office of any change of 

circumstances or change of address as soon 

as possible. To do this, telephone 0121 700 

1100, then choose Option 1 to discuss any 

changes with our staff. 

“We are in the process of sending 

letters out to all those in the scheme, 

reminding them of what cover they 

currently have and what else is available,” 

says Tom Cuddeford, deputy chairman of 

West Midlands Police Federation. 


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0313

Check out our 

new website 

The new look Federation website has been 

unveiled and is much more user friendly. 

Currently, around 500 unique people 

use the website every day looking for 

everything from regulations advice to latest 

news and insurance information. 

The new site is more interactive and 

allows members to find information 

quickly. 

New features include a media hub 

which gives direct access to our social 

media sites so you can Tweet us and let us 

know your views, a latest news section 

where you can search for topics of interest, 

a members services area with a search 

facility and map showing you the location 

of services and discounts and a central hub 

of information which contains advice, 

resources and regulations in a simplified 

and easy to find format. 

Officers urged to take part in College survey 

Police officers from all over the country and 

across all ranks are being urged to take part in 

a survey about the new College of Policing. 

Tom Cuddeford, deputy chairman of 

West Midlands Police Federation, says: “Your 

input will assist directly in influencing how 

the professional body operates. National 

Federation representatives have been 

identified, from all three Federated ranks, 

who will be pressing hard for the College to 

recognise and respond to police officer views’, 

so that the body is truly OUR professional 

body and not just something that’s imposed 

on us and adds no value to the service. 

“Please complete this survey and assist 

your Federation in influencing relevant 

parties.” 

Visit https://www.surveymonkey. 

com/s/CollegeBlueprint to take part. 

The Federation has also been asked to 

help with a survey being conducted by 

Professor Jennifer Brown, deputy chair of the 

Independent Commission into the Future of 

Policing in England and Wales being led by 

Lord Stevens. 

The Independent Police Commission, as 

a consequence of the findings of the earlier 

surveys, is seeking further information from 

Federation members. 

Results of the previous consultation 

revealed morale problems and difficulties 

experienced in managing part-time and/or 

flexible working, in addition to identifying 

unfairness in working practices. 

Rather than simply reporting this state of 

affairs, the Commission wants to be more 

constructive and offer a way to create a fairer 

working environment and would welcome 

your further input. 

Tom explains: “Once again, your input 

into this survey would be greatly appreciated 

and we hope to report the findings at the 

Police Federation conference.” 

The survey is completed anonymously 

and participants will not be identifiable in the 

final reporting. The link to the survey is as 

follows: https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/ 

N6Y6WBK 

The survey will be open until 12 April 

2013. 

30 


College of Policing scraps OSPRE II exams 

The College of Policing has announced that 

OSPRE Part II promotion exams will be 

scrapped and replaced with work-based 

assessments. 

The college has agreed to adopt the 

National Police Promotion Framework 

(NPPF) and work-based assessments that 

have been trialled in several forces. 

Nationally, the Police Federation has 

said it will not currently support the 

roll-out of the new promotions system for 

the rank of sergeant and inspector because 

of concerns over fairness, equality and costs. 

But Ian Edwards, chairman of West 

Midlands Police Federation, has said: “As 

police officers, we are trained to look for 

evidence and I think that if there is 

evidence that this new system will be an 

improvement on the previous exams then it 

is to be welcomed. Sergeants and inspectors 

play a pivotal role in the police service and 

therefore it is crucial that we recruit the 

very best individuals to these ranks. 

Sometimes it takes more than an exam to 

assess someone’s suitability for a role.” 

Officers currently undergoing OSPRE 

Part II behavioural assessments for 2013 

will not be affected by the changes and will 

continue under the current system but all 

officers going for promotion to the rank 

after this year will be assessed under the 

new system. 

Under the NPPF, officers who are 

considered eligible for promotion and have 

passed their legal knowledge examination 

will go through a local selection process 

that assesses their ability to perform 

effectively at the next rank. 

If they are successful they will be 

selected for temporary promotion and 

supported through a 12-month work-based 

assessment programme. On successful 

completion of the programme, the officers 

will then be substantively promoted. 

Chief Constable Alex Marshall, chief 

executive of the College of Policing, said: 

“The introduction of the National Police 

Promotion Framework is the first 

significant change to the promotion 

process for many years. It will provide 

newly-promoted sergeants and inspectors 

with the necessary operational and 

leadership skills, developed in their local 

environments, to deliver a high quality 

service to the public.” 

The College of Policing will provide 

further information to forces and officers 

about the National Police Promotions 

Framework via the college website, 

http://www.college.police.uk/en/11621. 

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Estate planning specialists on hand to 

support members 

Introducing the Inheritance & Welfare 

team at Slater & Gordon Lawyers, 

formerly Russell Jones & Walker 

In this edition we would like to 

introduce the services of our Inheritance & 

Welfare team. Experts on estate planning, 

our specialists are on hand to offer no 

obligation advice on their range of legal 

services to Police Federation members. 

Estate planning is crucial in helping you 

take control of your affairs and protect what 

is yours, but is often something that is left 

on the back burner with thoughts of ‘I’ll get 

‘round to it later’. 

Consider the below scenarios, could they 

happen to you Have you done all you can to 

protect your assets and the livelihood of your 

family 

1. An officer died leaving behind his 

unmarried partner and child as well as a 

young child from his earlier marriage. He’d 

also raised his partner’s eldest child as his 

own, providing for her financially. But the 

officer hadn’t written a will. 

In the absence of a valid will, the officer’s 

estate had to be distributed to his two young 

children as equal beneficiaries. Nothing was 

left for his unmarried partner or the child he 

was supporting before his death. The 

mothers of the officer’s children were made 

aware that they had an equal right to 

represent their children and the estate and 

both were happy to act together. 

But the officer’s partner changed her 

mind and decided to claim against the 

estate. Her eldest child also began a claim. 

The estate was in danger of disappearing in 

legal fees. 

How we helped 

By agreement, we applied to take control of 

the estate administration and helped create 

an acceptable solution for all to avoid the 

excessive costs of court action. 

2. An officer sustained a severe brain injury 

in a road accident. The injury left her 

incapable of managing her finances or her 

personal injury claim. Medical staff 

confirmed that they would not be able to 

predict the chances of recovery for a number 

of years. The officer had not previously 

created a Lasting Power of Attorney, which 

is a document to appoint people to represent 

you whenever needed. A volunteer had to 

apply to the Court of Protection for a 

Deputyship Order. The family lived outside 

the UK so agreed that we should make the 

application to Court. 

How we helped 

We now handle the officer’s health-care 

package requirements, manage her personal 

finances and have protected her employment 

position in the short-term, in the hope that 

she makes a full recovery. 

We will continue to protect her while 

she remains unable to manage her own 

affairs. We will also make sure that the 

compensation she will receive is invested 

appropriately so that it can be applied for 

her continued welfare and rehabilitation. 

So, as the above scenarios demonstrate, 

it’s important not to rest on your laurels 

when it comes to planning your estate. 

Make sure you have a plan in place should 

anything unexpected happen to you or your 

family. 

It’s always better to seek early guidance 

than find yourself in an unfavourable 

situation. Our services can be tailored to suit 

you and we offer advice: 

l Online 

l By telephone and post 

l Face-to-face at your local S & G office 

or Federation office. 

All our services are designed to give you 

a chance to access our expertise, whatever 

your budget. All our fees are fixed before you 

commit to instructing us and we also offer 

discounted online options. 

For more information, contact the 

Inheritance & Welfare team on 0845 601 

1908. 

Can you help university research team 

Officers are being encouraged to take 

part in a research project which is looking 

at how the changes in the police service 

are affecting you, the officers. 

The University of West of England 

in Bristol is conducting a research 

project titled ‘Police Identity in a Period 

of Social, Political and Organisational 

Change’. 

It aims to capture evidence about the 

numerous issues facing the police service 

in England and Wales today and how 

they are impacting on serving officers. 

The survey takes around 20 minutes to 

complete. You can leave the survey at any 

point (your responses will be saved) and 

then finish completing it at a later date but 

only if you log onto the same computer 

each time you complete the survey. 

At the end of the survey, 

researchers intend to produce an 

academic report which will give a 

true picture of how Police Federation 

members feel. 

The Police Federation hopes it will 

be able to make use of the outcomes to 

evidence its arguments on the damaging 

effects of Government policy. 

To take part in the survey, please 

go to: http://go.uwe.ac.uk/policesurvey-2013. 


National news round-up 

Campaign calls for change of law to protect pursuit drivers 

Talks have begun with the 

Home Secretary over 

concerns about officers 

taking part in police 

pursuits being subject to 

prosecution. 

T/Deputy Chief 

Constable Andy Holt, who 

is ACPO lead for police pursuits, has 

started the ball rolling on a change or 

amendment in legislation which will 

potentially offer more protection to police 

officers. He has also spoken to the Director 

of Transport. 

In 2009 in a Court of Appeal case, the 

court prohibited a jury from taking into 

account a police officer’s skill and training 

in determining whether the driving was 

dangerous. As a result, a police officer 

cannot argue that his driving ought not to 

be considered dangerous because he had 

the skills to deal with the apparent hazards. 

And more recently, in a case involving 

officers from Hampshire, a 

further problem was 

highlighted in that the 

prosecution argued that a 

police driver is criminally 

liable for the danger caused 

by the subject vehicle 

because, by pursuing or 

continuing to pursue, the police driver has 

caused the dangerous driving of the subject 

vehicle. 

In a letter to chief constables, Mr Holt 

said: “The Police Federation are rightly 

concerned that officers are at increased risk 

of prosecution whilst merely seeking to 

discharge their duties as constables. It 

would pose a serious risk to the operational 

delivery of the police service if officers do 

not conduct pursuits and do not respond to 

emergencies promptly. I am working with 

the Federation to address this issue, but it 

seems likely that a change or amendment 

to legislation is required and, as you may 

imagine, this could take some while.” 

The Police Federation of England and 

Wales has written to all branch boards 

outlining the position. 

In the letter it states: “The Police 

Federation acknowledges that police 

officers cannot be exempt from such 

driving standards, but takes the stance that 

the uniqueness of the role and the 

requirement to respond to emergencies of a 

very wide nature requires that the driver’s 

training and expertise should be taken into 

account. It falls to the individual officer to 

justify proportionality, reasonableness, 

necessity and judgement if called to 

account as to why they drove in the way 

they did.” 

Mr Holt said the issue has also been 

raised with the Director of Public 

Prosecutions to ensure that before any 

prosecution the public interest test has been 

appropriately applied. 

National standards planned for 

roads policing officers 

A project that will lead to the creation of national accredited 

standards of training for officers involved in roads policing has 

been launched. 

West Midlands ACC Garry Forsyth, vice-chair of the ACPO 

Roads Policing Business Area, gave details of the project at the 

joint ACPO and Police Federation Roads Policing Conference in 

Leicestershire earlier this year. 

The project will run for up to two years and will engage with 

forces across England and Wales to establish what training is 

currently being delivered. 

The national package is expected to be in a range of modules 

which will enable chief officers to have a variety of options that 

they can tailor to their force’s circumstances. The team will work 

with a view to embedding the standards within the new College 

of Policing. 

Alan Jones, the Federation’s roads policing lead, said: 

“Although we already have some excellent in-force training 

provision it is too patchy and non-consistent. 

“The establishment of a national standard is long overdue. I 

really do have a long term vision of a national roads policing 

academy which has tremendous opportunities to embrace all 

aspects of the role, supporting officers in the best possible way.” 

MP’s praise for roads policing 

officers 

The Department of Transport has thanked police officers for the 

incredible job they do, day in day out helping make Britain’s roads 

among the safest in the world. 

Stephen Hammond MP, the under-secretary of state for 

transport, addressed officers via video at the joint Police Federation 

and ACPO Roads Policing Conference earlier this year. 

He spoke about new proposals to reduce drink-driving and to 

allow a widened range of registered healthcare 

professionals to use blood and specimen samples in evidence. 

He said: “The concluded drink-drive consultation will support 

more law enforcement. Under new proposals, this will allow us to 

close down some loop-holes used by some drink-drivers to escape 

prosecution. We will be looking at replacing a breath test with a 

blood or urine test. 

“We are also looking at proposals to widen the range of 

registered healthcare professionals who are allowed to take blood 

samples and specimens in evidence. 

“I am grateful to ACPO, the Police Federation, other police 

groups and authorities who have responded to this consultation 

and look forward to working with them as we decide which 

measures to implement.” 

The Department of Transport is giving more than £1 billion to 

local councils to improve the transport infrastructure, including the 

design of better and safer roads. 

34 


Officer witnesses must attend interviews 

in death or serious injury inquiries 

New powers are now in place which 

compel officers to attend an interview 

when being treated as a witness in a death 

or serious injury investigation. 

The Independent Police Complaints 

Commission (IPCC) has been given the 

power after it was deemed necessary to 

enable it to investigate the Hillsborough 

matter. However, it can be used in any 

death or serious injury investigation. 

It is not a power to enforce officers to 

answer questions. It is only to enforce they 

attend an interview. 

Stephen Smith, deputy general 

secretary at the Police Federation of 

England and Wales, explains: “It remains 

each officer’s right to decide whether to 

respond by answering questions in 

interview or by preparing a written 

statement. 

“Whilst the officer could face 

misconduct proceedings for failing to 

attend an interview when required to do so, 

no sanction can be imposed should the 

officer decide not to answer questions. 

“It is a decision for each officer to 

determine what is best for them. However, 

the Police Federation has obtained legal 

advice on this issue and police friends and 

officers should take into consideration the 

following issues: 

l In any DSI investigation there will be 

an expectation that any officer who has 

used force, or has been involved in the 

decision to use force, or is a witness to 

the use of force, will justify that use of 

force in a written statement. It is vitally 

important that great care is taken when 

preparing a statement so as to ensure 

that all the relevant evidence is 

included in particular the officer’s 

perception of the circumstances that led 

to the use of force. If the decision to use 

force is not articulated carefully the 

officer concerned could become a 

suspect rather than a witness. 

l The new regulations require the 

investigator to provide disclosure to the 

officer in advance of the interview. The 

new regulations state that this should 

be done so as to enable the officer to 

prepare for the interview. Legal advice 

suggests this should be done in advance 

of the interview and not on the day of 

the interview to afford the officer 

sufficient time to prepare and, where 

appropriate, to seek legal advice or 

advice from a police friend. 

l The officer is entitled to be 

accompanied at the interview by a 

person of their choice. This can be a 

police friend or a legal advisor. In a DSI 

investigation the Police Federation 

would strongly advise any officer to 

seek legal advice before attending an 

interview and, where appropriate, 

attend with a legal advisor. 

l This power can only be used when the 

officer is being treated as a witness. It 

cannot be used where the officer is 

subject of an investigation into a 

complaint or where the officer may 

have committed a criminal offence or 

failed to meet the standards of 

professional behaviour. However, 

because in a DSI investigation the 

status of an officer who has used force 

can change from witness to suspect at 

any time, the Police Federation would 

strongly advise every officer to seek 

legal advice before attending an 

interview and, where appropriate, 

attend with a legal advisor. 

l An officer is entitled to seek legal 

advice at any stage, provided the 

investigation is with regard to their 

performance of police duties. 

CRTP - legal 

challenge unlikely 

Any legal challenge to Government plans 

to phase out Competency Related 

Threshold Payments (CRTP) is likely to 

fail, according to the general secretary of 

the Police Federation. 

Federation leaders have opposed the 

abolition of CRTP as it was part of 

pensionable pay. 

In a letter to Federation chairmen and 

secretaries, national general secretary Ian 

Rennie says that the phased withdrawal of 

CRTP would mean that even with modest 

pay rises there should be no pension ‘loss’ 

and that a legal challenge is therefore not 

likely to succeed. 

But Steve Grange, deputy secretary of 

West Midlands Police Federation, says: 

“My only view on this is that it seems 

contradictory to say that officers won’t 

suffer any loss to pension when they are 

having over £1,000 of pensionable pay cut 

from their salary. For somebody who 

retires at 30 years that’s a reduction of over 

£650 per year from their pension or if they 

commute the full amount then about 

£3,500 from their lump sum. 

“Obviously, this is being phased out so 

the full effect won’t be felt for three years 

but it is still a reduction in pension for all 

officers who previously received it, and let’s 

not forget that a number of officers will 

have paid pension contributions of 

between 11 and 12.25 per cent on CRTP 

since they were first paid it, for no benefit.” 


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