Survey finds 88 per cent of West Mercia Police feel there are not enough officers
The chair of the county's police federation has said she regularly speaks with officers who are looking to leave "because they cannot provide the service they want to".
Sarah Cooper, Chair of West Mercia Police Federation, was speaking after a survey found that 88 per cent of West Mercia Police officers feel that there is not enough of them to do their job properly.
The force is already taking moves to address a lack of officers and is taking on another 215. It has also stressed that it is focussed on the health and wellbeing of staff.
Ms Cooper said: "I don’t think there should be any surprises in the findings of this survey.
“The results echo the concerns raised with me by members on a daily basis and we are all aware there is a huge mismatch between demand and capacity which is having a hugely negative impact on the welfare of officers.
“I think there needs to be more recognition of the fact that these officers are suffering because they feel unable to deliver the service they want to the public.
"Of those who responded to the survey, 88 per cent of our officers feel that there is not enough of them to do their job properly with 64 per cent saying that they often or always have to neglect tasks because there is too much to do.
“This has a huge impact on the public and on officers who joined the police to help people and provide the best service they can."
Ability to serve
She added: "I am regularly speaking with officers who are actively seeking other employment because they cannot provide the service they want to, and the loss of these experienced and committed officers should be a huge concern as it impacts on our ability to serve the public and also our colleagues who are losing valued and experienced team members.
“If you then add into the mix the findings that increasing numbers of officers are being verbally abused, threatened and physically attacked then it is no wonder that officers feel as they do in terms of their mental wellbeing.”
Ms Cooper also said there are concerns where officers are working on their own.
She said: “There are also issues in our force area associated with single crewing due to the huge geographic area and the feeling of isolation and vulnerability that officers face knowing that resources are stretched to breaking point and any backup, if available, can take a significant amount of time to arrive."
Ms Cooper added that she was pleased the force appeared to be addressing concerns.
She said: “In terms of addressing the issues raised in the survey I do believe that the force is alive to the concerns and is seeking to address them.
“We are recruiting a significant number of new officers and recent decisions to amend shift patterns and reduce supervisor numbers have been reviewed in response to concerns raised around officer wellbeing.
“My plea would be that those making change listen and understand what is being said to them before ploughing on regardless."
Health and wellbeing
Responding to the survey and Ms Cooper's comments West Mercia Police Deputy Chief Constable Amanda Blakeman praised officers and said the force was focussed on the health and wellbeing of staff.
She said: "We recognise that our officers are doing a brilliant job in some very difficult circumstances.
"Staffing is a key factor in the health and wellbeing of our workforce and we acknowledge that there is a need for additional officers. We are currently recruiting 100 new officers and just last week the PCC announced budget plans that will allow for a further 115 to be recruited in addition to that. This is a significant investment in our workforce providing a real uplift in numbers and we very much welcome this news.
"We prioritise the health and wellbeing of our officers and staff, and have designated 2019 as the Year of Wellbeing to ensure a continued and increased focus on this important issue. We have a range of support initiatives in place to help them and actively encourage them to take steps to look after themselves and seek help and advice when needed.
"We are also looking at the causal factors affecting wellbeing, especially the psychological issues and are asking officers and staff to take personal responsibility to look out for their colleagues, as well as themselves."
