New chief outlines his vision for force at Open Meeting

THE new chief constable of Essex Police has said he appreciates police officers are “stretched” and that he does not want them being blindly led by figures.

Stephen Kavanagh (pictured), who began the role this week, vowed at the annual Essex Police Federation Open meeting to do more research on resources in the force.

Some 150 officers at the meeting took the chance to raise their concerns with the new chief over issues like shift start times, uniform and the future of the South East Allowance.

Mr Kavanagh – who said he wants to officers proud of working for the force – said he plans on spending the first 30 days in office finding out about any other issues that affect officers and then he said he will attempt to address them.

He said he wanted officers to feel empowered to make decisions and that they would have his backing if they acted with integrity.

Officers, he said, would also be backed by the force if they are forced into being emergency paramedics and to ferry people to hospital.

Mr Kavanagh, who received applause at the end of his speech, also emphasised his standards – stating he wanted officers to wear their helmets when in uniform, to wear tunics, not fleeces, when attending court and for them to avoid parking on double yellow lines.

At the meeting, Mark Smith, chairman of Essex Police Federation, told Stephen Kavanagh that “officers’ morale is very low – not just in Essex but across the country.”

He added: “The welfare of officers does not seem to be anywhere near the top of the force’s list.”

He said: “The service relies on goodwill from its officers. Goodwill to be flexible at times when money is short and officer numbers are falling. The goodwill of officers has all but gone. It is very apparent that the Government don’t care about the police. The Government just keep taking and it appears to my members, so do the force.

“The force needs to take a long hard look at what we do. We need to decide what we are doing – and more importantly what we will stop doing.

“It had been said many times in the past but I am going to say it again. You do not get more or even the same for less. You only ever get less. And that may mean the public have to get less from us and more from others.”

Addressing police and crime commissioner Nick Alston, Mr Smith added: “This is an area where I believe the PCC needs to help and take a lead. We hear a lot about partners in policing and the police family. We need our partners to stop being silent.”

At the meeting, attended by around 150 officers, Mr Smith told Mr Kavanagh: “Your officers needs some stability in the work place which help bring some stability to their home life too. Your officers are your biggest asset and the ones who will deliver for you.

“They need to be and feel valued by the force. We need a leader who recognises the importance of officer welfare and balances that with the need to hit targets. A leader who puts their trust in their officers.”