Nominations open for Police Federation Representative Elections
SOUTH Yorkshire Police officers are being urged to consider putting themselves forward to represent their colleagues as part of the Police Federation.
The body will hold elections between the 1 and 21st March to fill 29 posts – from workplace representatives who combine their duties as police officers with their voluntary additional work, all the way up to Conduct Lead, Chair and Secretary.
The process starts this month, as interested parties will have to register their intent before putting themselves up for nomination for election on 1 February.
Zuleika Payne, Chair of South Yorkshire Federation, said she would encourage officers to apply for the roles: “It’s important that our board here in South Yorkshire reflects the diverse makeup of the organisation, which reflects the makeup of the communities which we serve.”
The role is “immensely satisfying” and can provide good opportunities for training with useful reference material to assist in policing too, Zuleika added.
She said: “We are working in very strange times at the moment, with people feeling poorly supported, officer numbers desperately low, workloads forever mounting high, people often find themselves in a not so good a place.
“So it is very rewarding to be able to lend an ear, offer support or be there for somebody who is experiencing some difficulty, whether that’s a matter of perceived inequality, a matter of misconduct and performance, or it could be somebody who has been injured at work.”
Those interested are encouraged to speak with either their local federation representative or members of the full-time board in the federation office to find out more about what will be expected of them, the training that is provided and the support that is available to them.
She added: “The training that is on offer can really assist as you move on in your career. The training that is offered by Federation House in Leatherhead is second to none, and quite often it can be the case that the training you receive from the federation can enhance your service delivery within your own force.”