HM CHIEF inspector of constabulary Tom Winsor\u2019s decision to wear uniform while laying a wreath at the Cenotaph on Remembrance Sunday was in \u201cpoor taste\u201d, the secretary of South Yorkshire Federation has said.<\/p>\n
Jim Lucas said Mr Winsor (pictured) should have been replaced with \u201ca senior ranking police officer who represents the police service \u2013 the people who are out there doing the job.\u201d\u00a0Mr Winsor \u00a0first angered the service by wearing uniform at National Police Memorial Day in September.\u00a0He did it again on Remembrance Sunday.<\/p>\n
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Mr Lucas said: \u201cOur members see Tom Winsor as a man who has made huge detrimental changes to their pay and conditions.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe last thing they want is to then see is him representing them by laying a wreath at the Cenotaph.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere are enough police officers around the country who have lost their lives doing this job \u2013 perhaps it could have been one of their family members.<\/p>\n
\u201cOr a senior officer from ACPO would have been more suitable.\u201d<\/p>\n
Mr Winsor is\u00a0the first non police officer to be the HM chief inspector and the architect of police pay reforms.<\/strong><\/p>\n It is understood that both the Police Federation of England and Wales and ACPO president Sir Hugh Orde made representations to the Home Secretary over this issue prior to the memorial service and that they have not had a response from the Home Office or The Home Secretary.<\/p>\n Speaking last month, Sir Hugh said: “I think those families would expect that the tradition of a very experienced senior police officer to lay the wreath at the Cenotaph would be a matter of their expectation and I think one that would be reasonable.\u201d<\/p>\n After National Police Memorial Day, Graham Smith, chairman of Thames Valley Police Federation wrote to Mr Winsor about the issue of wearing uniform. He said: The Home Secretary on your appointment went to great lengths to explain the importance of you being appointed as the first civilian Chief Inspector of the HMIC due to HMIC changing role.<\/p>\n \u201cIf we are to accept that rationale it was slightly incongruous that you chose to wear a uniform that carried insignia that resembled a senior Police Officer all of whom are Constables and therefore Officers of the Crown.<\/p>\n \u201cWith that in mind I ask that you seriously consider the wearing of the uniform at future public occasions where it can be construed you are Police Officer and representing the Police Service and Police Officers.\u201d<\/p>\n He has yet to receive a reply.<\/p>\n An HMIC spokeswoman said: \u201cMr Winsor accepted an invitation from the Department for Culture, Media and Sport to place a wreath on behalf of the uniformed civilian services (which includes the police, prisons, fire, the British Red Cross, St John\u2019s Ambulance and the Ambulance Association) during this year\u2019s Remembrance Sunday service.<\/p>\n \u201cThis responsibility alternates between HMCIC and the Chief Fire Officer.<\/p>\n \u201cThe uniform which Mr Winsor wore is the uniform of Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Constabulary. No-one except HMCIC is entitled to wear it.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n