POLICE officers will be waiting to see whether the Home Secretary\u2019s actions are as good as her words after she made promises on sentencing of cop killers and mental health.<\/p>\n
Neil Bowles, chairman of South Yorkshire Police Federation, (pictured) cautiously welcomed announcements from Theresa May at the Police Federation of England and Wales annual conference this week. But he said that the proof will be in the pudding.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cThe life sentence meaning a whole life,\u201d said Mr Bowles, \u201cthere is good and bad about that. Why just pick on police officers for that particular term. Yes we need to be protected\u2026I would like the sentences for any assault for any police officer to do what it says on the tin. If you get four years, you get four years.\u201d<\/p>\n
After hearing the Home Secretary pledge to reduce the amount of time police officers spend with mental health patients, Mr Bowles said: \u201cMental health and filling in for the ambulance services is a big one in South Yorkshire at the moment. It takes up so much time for officers.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe are not trained to deal with these people, we only get rudimentary first aid training. The paramedics are the experts, let\u2019s get the resources in the right places. And let police officers do the job we are trained to do.\u201d<\/p>\n
Discussions around the compulsory severance recommendation at the Police Negotiating Board are due to conclude in July after the Police Arbitration Tribunal (PAT) suggested the proposal should be deferred for further deliberations.<\/p>\n
Mrs May told conference she “recognises the strength of concern” police officers have over compulsory severance. But she refused to take it off the negotiating table.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe are all concerned about compulsory severance,\u201d added Mr Bowles. \u201cAll police officers. Superintendents and quite a few chief officers. It attacks the whole constitution of the office of constable and it brings in unfair pressure can be put on individual officers to go and do something that maybe they wouldn\u2019t do under the threat \u201cif you don\u2019t do it I will sack you.\u201d\u201d<\/p>\n
Mr Bowles noted that overall, delegates at conference gave the Home Secretary \u201ca more positive response.\u201d<\/p>\n
He concluded: \u201cWe came here this week thinking there was lots of internal strife and we need to be united. Hopefully at the end of this week, we are united. We have had a bit more positive response from the Home Secretary. Maybe there is some business we can do together. For the benefit of everyone – my members and the public.\u201d<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n