“South Yorkshire officers should be proud of how they have turned the force around”

HUGE credit must go to the officers and staff at South Yorkshire Police who have ‘turned the force around’ says South Yorkshire Police Federation.

Three years ago, the force was placed in special measures by HMICFRS inspectors and was ordered to improve.

However, the latest HMICFRS report suggested the force was now ‘outstanding’ in some areas and had improved across the board.

Steve Kent, South Yorkshire Police Federation Chair said the turnaround has been incredible.

“It was absolutely ridiculous where we were a couple of years ago, seen as one of the worst-performing forces in the country,” he said.

“New management has come in and, credit where it’s due, they have turned things around with plan on a page, which is a unique thing to South Yorkshire Police.

“But the main credit goes out to all the officers out there and the staff who have turned us around. From going to one of the bottom forces to the top five is absolutely incredible. While some people are obviously feeling the strain on a day to day basis, it’s quite right that they can feel a bit more pride about the work that they do and the results that they’re putting forward.”

The fact that the force has improved so much is something which now needs to be shared more widely with the Yorkshire public, Steve added.

“It’s also important for us to push it out to the public, to know that actually the police are often criticised, but we are one of the best at what we’re doing at the minute, and we’re working as hard as we can, and this is all in the backdrop of being a larger force with, actually, poorer funding that the majority of larger forces because of the way that the precept works.

“So, it’s just an incredible job from everybody at the force, from the bottom to the top, and it’s something that should be celebrated,” he said.