THE pressure must be kept up against the idea of introducing police officer compulsory severance, the Chairman of South Yorkshire Police Federation has said.<\/p>\n
Chief Constables are not seeking to introduce compulsory severance for police officers at this time.<\/p>\n
Top cops from across the UK discussed the idea of \u201creluctantly\u201d asking Home Secretary Theresa May to introduce the power to make police officers redundant.<\/p>\n
But the idea was rejected \u2013 for now.<\/p>\n
Neil Bowles (pictured), Chairman of South Yorkshire Police Federation, said: \u201cI\u2019m glad to see that a decision wasn\u2019t made before it was even, possibly, necessary.<\/p>\n
\u201cBut of course, it\u2019s not the end of the story and they might come back to it. I heard that the Metropolitan Commissioner, Sir Bernard, has actually gone separately to the Home Secretary asking for it. So there may be some fraction within the ranks for the Chief Council.\u201d<\/p>\n
Mr Bowles said it was important to keep the \u201cpressure up in the media, with politicians, with the Home Secretary, and it must need primary legislation to go through Parliament, so if it does raise its head again we\u2019ll have to go all out to lobby against it\u201d.<\/p>\n
Previously, Mr Bowles said the power to make police officers redundant would \u201cinterfere with the independent Office of Constable\u201d.<\/p>\n
He said the power would see police officers \u201clooking over their back and not doing their job properly\u201d and feared that police officers could be \u201cinfluenced about how to use their powers\u201d.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe can\u2019t have a state where if someone turns around to an Inspector and says, \u2018No I\u2019m not going to arrest that person, I haven\u2019t got the power to do so\u2019, for that to be looked badly on that officer,\u201d said Mr Bowles.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe take on oath, or an attestation that we will police without fear or favour,\u201d he added. \u201cThe introduction of possible redundancies would interfere with that.\u201d<\/p>\n
He said if police officers are to be made redundant, the Federation would push for full industrial rights.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf we\u2019re going to be treated like an employee then we should have all employee rights,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n