“Home Secretary shows real contempt for police officers”

THE Home Secretary has been accused of giving a “kick in the teeth” to officers following her address to the Police Federation of England and Wales.

Essex Police Federation chairman Mark Smith (pictured) blasted Theresa May, saying she has shown “contempt” not only for the Police Federation but all police officers in general.

Mr Smith was speaking after Mrs May surprised the organisation with a raft of changes – including cutting federation funding, forcing them to open their accounts to the Home Office and changing the law so that officers have to “opt in” to the organisation.

Mr Smith said: “I think it has shown what this government thinks of policing. She has not acknowledged the hard work that has already been done [in reform] and she has tried to cut back on the Normington report timescale.”

Sir David Normington, in his 36-plan for change, said that the Federation should take two years to turn itself around, but Mrs May said it should be done in just 12 months.

She said: “The Federation was created by an Act of Parliament and it can be reformed by an Act of Parliament. If you do not change of your own accord, we will impose change on you.”

She also launched a broadside on the service – listing current and historic misdemeanours by police officers, including Hillsborough, the misuse of stop and search and allegations of victimisation within the federation.

Mr Smith added: “The Home Secretary is showing real contempt for us. She just reeled off a list of what’s gone wrong with policing. Although she kept saying we are the best police in the world, she didn’t back it up with anything. The only thing she backed up was how bad we are and how we’ve messed up.”

Monty Montgomery, secretary of Essex Police Federation, added: “We are all shell shocked. That was a real kicking.”

Earlier she was accused of “bullying” the Police Federation.

Ken Davies, of Cheshire Police Federation, told Mrs May: “We have got the sword of Damocles hang over us and Home Secretary you are threatening to bully us.

“Throughout 21 years of frontline service, I have been attacked and hospitalised. And I have never had such an attack or personal kicking as the one that has come out from every comment you have just made.”