Election will slow down work on police assault legislation

IMPORTANT work on preventing police assaults is likely to be paused in the light of the snap general election, Essex Police Federation has warned.

Federations have been working with MPs to change legislation and enhance deterrents against offenders attacking bobbies. But progress on this, along with other important police business, is likely to now take longer.

Steve Taylor, Essex Police Federation Chairman, said: “We expect everything to slow down. I’m assuming the draft guidance for Police Federation reform that we are anticipating from the Home Office is going to be delayed. Which means the Federation elections, very conceivably, will be knocked even further back down the schedule.

“We also anticipate delays in some of the proactive work the National Federation are doing around assaults, around looking at changing legislation for assaulting officers. One assumes that will be put on the back burner as well as Government shuts down for the election cycle to run.”

And the future of police funding also hangs in the balance, Mr Taylor warned.

“Hopefully it won’t mean a new round of cuts – revisiting the cuts that have already been made that we and our members have already suffered through,” he said.

“But all elections bring the unknown. Whatever the outcome of the election, it opens the door for people to take another look at the cuts that have already gone on and the savings that have already been made and try and identify more.”

Mr Taylor (pictured) called for the next Government to reinvest in police – and if they cannot do that then to reinvest in the wider emergency services.

He added: “Is there a party of the police anymore? I’m not so sure there is. Reinvestment in general probably won’t happen. But, indirect investment in mental health facilities would be a good thing so that we are no longer seen as the service of last resort.

“So if you don’t want to give the money to the police then find the money and give it to the mental health workers in the community, and to the NHS.”