The Government needs to \u201cstick up for officers\u201d in order to tackle the crisis in police morale, the Chair of South Yorkshire Police Federation has said.<\/p>\n
Nearly a third (31%) of police officers who responded to the PFEW\u2019s latest Pay and Morale Survey said they did not feel proud to be in the police, with 95% saying the way police were treated by the Government had a negative impact on their morale.<\/p>\n
South Yorkshire Police Federation Chair Steve Kent said the police had been used as a \u201cpunchbag\u201d by politicians in the past and that the new Government needed to build a more positive relationship with forces.<\/p>\n
He said: \u201cPoliticians did come up and speak to our officers after the riots in Manvers, and I think it had a positive effect on officers. We need to see more of that. We need to see politicians engaging more with cops, and sticking up for our police officers.<\/p>\n
\u201cI believe the UK has the best police in the world, and we do the most with so little. Yet the obsession is to criticise, not praise, so we need to see a change in rhetoric about our police officers.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf the politicians used the NHS or the fire brigade as a punchbag, like they have with the police in the past, there\u2019s no way it would be tolerated by the public.<\/p>\n
\u201cSo we need a positive conversation going forward, because cops read the press, they hear the news, and they\u2019re sick to death of hearing it. One interview might not be a bad thing. One negative news article. But the constant bashing of the police is just totally unfair.\u201d<\/p>\n
Steve added: \u201cRemember that 99.9% of our cops do an unbelievable job, day in, day out. A job which the vast majority of the public and politicians wouldn\u2019t be able to do, so I think we need to start recognising that.\u201d<\/p>\n