It’s fair to say that this year has been one none of us could have predicted, let alone wanted to go through – the pandemic has had a significant effect on police officers, to say the least. The way we’ve had to work has been unprecedented, but we’ve risen to the challenges and will continue to do so.
I want to say a huge thank you to our members for your continued support, for keeping each other safe and keeping the public safe. I’m exceptionally proud of the work you do day in, day out, despite the danger you face and run towards.
Policing is unpredictable and it’s often a tough job. The criticism we get from social media and other media outlets isn’t nice, and we’re under constant scrutiny. Sometimes it feels that no matter what we do, we can’t win.
In 2021 the challenges will continue, with Brexit looming and local projects in Staffordshire like HS2. We’ve seen the recent news about the Government increasing police budgets and its commitment to continue the recruitment of 20,000 additional officers. This is welcome, though it’s a cautious welcome as we’re nowhere near the levels we had pre-austerity. But we have got fresh talent coming through.
And there’s a light at the end of the tunnel with the vaccine coming in. This will take a while to roll out, but hopefully police officers will get the vaccine quicker to allow more people to stay at work and stay safe for themselves and their loved ones.
I hope you get the opportunity to have a peaceful Christmas, spending time with loved ones, subject to social distancing, whether that’s over Zoom or face to face. I will be visible over Christmas and I'll try to say hello to as many people as I can. Stay safe and happy Christmas.
Phil Jones, Chair of Staffordshire Police Federation
