A new bill which establishes a Police Covenant and provides better welfare and legal safeguards for police officers will be unveiled in Parliament today.
The Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill, which involves the creation of a Police Covenant, has been welcomed by Phil Jones, Staffordshire Police Federation chair and wellbeing lead.
“The Police Covenant will enshrine officers’ health and wellbeing in law and that, coupled with the other measures set out in this bill, is good news for police officers and their families,” says Phil.
“Police officers put their lives on the line when carrying out their duties, serving and protecting the public, and their roles can have a detrimental impact on their physical and mental health and wellbeing.
“The covenant will recognise their unique position in society and will ensure they receive the support and help they need.”
The creation of the covenant, which follows a Police Federation campaign, will mean serving and former members of the police service are provided with continued health and wellbeing support, physical protection and support for their families, and will create a duty for the Home Secretary to report annually on the work being undertaken.
Alongside the establishment of the covenant, the bill legislates to double the maximum sentences for those convicted of assaulting emergency workers in England and Wales to two years.
It will give better protection to police officers involved in driving incidents, with the introduction of a new test to assess officers’ driving standards. The new test will see them judged against a ‘competent and careful peer’ with the same training, rather than with a member of the public.
It also allows Special Constables to formally join the Police Federation. This follows years of Federation campaigning and regular discussions with the Home Office, Association of Special Constabulary Officers (ASCO), the National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC) and the Association of Police and Crime Commissioners (APCC) over the issue.
The measures were also welcomed by national Federation chair John Apter who said: “This bill contains a number of important changes we have been campaigning for over many years to give greater protection to police officers, and recognise the unpredictable, dangerous and demanding job they do.
“This is the first step to bring these changes into law; we must grab this opportunity and ensure the bill brings about a positive, meaningful and tangible difference for our colleagues.”
