Police Officers Need Time Off Too

As the school holidays arrive, a lack of resource in the force means that not all officers are having their leave requests approved, South Yorkshire Police Federation has said.

Large summer events also increase policing demand, and Federation Chair Steve Kent said that the ability for officers to get leave approved was “a bit of a mixed picture”.

He said: “We do have a resourcing constraint, so I hear about officers who can’t get their leave in. There is an issue with the amount of leave that people are getting at the moment, and the amount of events that are restricting what officers can and can’t do.

“So our advice to officers is to keep putting their leave requests in and get them in early if possible. If their request isn’t approved, they should speak to their local rep and retain evidence of not being able to get the leave. But we are clear on this, and we are appealing to district commanders to make sure that every officer gets a period of leave over the summer.”