Federation pleased to see Chiefs ‘sticking up’ for their officers

POLICE Chiefs are ‘sticking up’ for their officers, and it’s good to see at what is a difficult time for police offiers, says South Yorkshire Police Federation.

The Metropolitan Police’s Assistant Commissioner Helen Ball backed her officers for their handling of the Sarah Everard vigil in London despite widespread flak from the media and senior politicians.

She said they had been put in a position where “where enforcement action was necessary” because of “the overriding need to protect people’s safety.”

“Hundreds of people were packed tightly together, posing a very real risk of easily transmitting Covid-19,” she said.

“Police must act for people’s safety; this is the only responsible thing to do. The pandemic is not over, and gatherings of people from right across London and beyond are still not safe.”

Her colleague, Deputy Commissioner Sir Stephen House, also refused to apologise for his officers, saying they were “doing their duty as they saw it” to enforce COVID legislation at the event.

He said some officers had been on the receiving end of “abuse and violence” and had plastic bottles thrown at them.

They’re the sort of statements appreciated by officers Steve Kent, South Yorkshire Police Federation Chair said.

“Our Deputy Chief Constable frequently defends the actions of our officers, as does the Chief and the senior leadership team,” he said.

“Sometimes it doesn’t gather traction with the press, and so their statements sometimes go unreported.

“In our force, they stick up for officers in these positions, and they always have done,

“On this occasion, the statements [from the Met] were really welcome because there has to be that counter-balance.

“Chief officers across the country have got unbelievable responsibilities, but they also have a responsibility to the force and the officers who go out there and do as they order them to do.

“It’s vital they provide that protection for officers.”