POLICE COVENANT FOR ENGLAND AND WALES: LAUNCH OF CONSULTATION
The Home Secretary, the Rt Hon Priti Patel MP, has launched an open consultation and the below letter from her sets out its scope and intentions.
NARPO CEO Steve Edwards will be replying to the consultation but urges others to do so as well
https://www.narpo.org/police-covenant-for-england-and-wales-government-consultation/
POLICE COVENANT FOR ENGLAND AND WALES: LAUNCH OF CONSULTATION
We write to inform you of the launch today of an eight-week consultation on the principle and scope of the Police Covenant. Too many officers are paying the price for their astonishing devotion to public duty. They are true public servants, doing an exceptional job in extraordinary circumstances. They deserve our utmost respect, support and protection, and I am determined to do whatever I can to keep them safe and to make their lives easier.
That’s why I have stepped up plans to introduce a Police Covenant to enshrine the rights of those serving in our police forces. This Covenant is a pledge to do more to recognise the service and sacrifice of our police and to deliver the urgent practical support they need.
The daily challenges and dangers our police face can have a serious impact on every aspect of their lives. This consultation asks what more we can do to help protect them from attack and boost their wellbeing. When an officer suffers it is often their families who pick up the pieces, so we will also look at what more we can do to support their loved ones.
As Home Secretary, my mission is to deliver the safer streets that the people want. We can only do that if we support and empower our outstanding police to do their job. They have my full and unwavering support.
Our police are the embodiment of public duty – facing danger on a daily basis so we don’t have to – and I refuse to allow them to pay the price for that.
This consultation seeks views on the principle of implementing a Police Covenant in England and Wales, to enhance support for the police and their families. It will look at the themes of:
• Physical protection
• Health and wellbeing
• Support for families
It will also consider the scope of the Covenant and who should be covered. The consultation is aimed at those serving with the police, those who have previously done so, their families and any groups with an interest in supporting the police in England and Wales.
We would like to hear from anyone who has been affected, indirectly or directly, by the impact of policing work and to hear what more can be done to help. Questions include how officers should be publicly recognised for their bravery and work, and what can be done to ease their burden.
The full consultation is available on :-
https://www.homeofficesurveys.homeoffice.gov.uk/s/preview/NC12Z/1D0B4C3F305B64C E752B5E99407989 and at www.Gov.uk.
The consultation will close on 22 April 2020.
We hope that you will fully engage in this consultation process by sharing your expertise and experience and using your networks to ensure that the voices of officers, their families and the organisations that support them are fully represented.
