Police Superindendents Association of England and Wales: Restoring public confidence

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Thursday, 11, Sep 2008 12:00

Restoring ‘dented and bruised’ public confidence in the police will be the main theme of the President’s address to the Association’s annual Conference next week.

Chief Superintendent Ian Johnston will tell more than 250 delegates that there are ‘too many occasions when we disappoint’ and encourage senior officers to do more to reassure the public that the police are on their side when it comes to tackling crime and criminals.

Ian will acknowledge ‘public confidence is fragile and we need to restore it and enhance it by tackling the issues that are a priority to the communities we serve’.

He will focus on the public attitude to the police use of speed cameras and the way in which they dent public confidence and call on colleagues to do more to convince the public that their use is ‘a legitimate and fair activity’ to tackle death on our roads.

He will also refer to officers ‘hitting the target but missing the point’ due to the rigid processes which have tied their hands in recent years.

And he will call for greater resources to be devoted to victims of crime ‘as opposed to what many view as the disproportionate amount of support offered to offenders’.

Ian will remind the Home Secretary that officers of all ranks have lost confidence in the Government following the disastrous handling of last year’s pay award and warned ‘there must never be a repeat of the discreditable process’.

A review of the way in which the country’s chief police officers are recruited is also called for in the presidential address as the current procedures have lost credibility with officers who are reluctant to put themselves forward for the highest ranks.

Helen Newlove, the widow of murder victim Gary Newlove, will take part in a presentation on tackling antic-social behaviour alongside Louise Casey, head of the Government’s Respect Task Force.

Chief Constable Sir Norman Bettison will address conference on the future structure of police forces, Home Office Minister Tony McNulty MP will speak about the Government’s Green Paper on the future of policing and delegates will hear a presentation on developments in safety and risk issues in the Service.

A toolkit to help Association members improve their work-life balance and general health and well-being is also being launched after a series of health surveys revealed many members suffer from work-related illnesses.

The Home Secretary is now due to address Conference on the afternoon of Tuesday September 17th.

All members of the Press are invited to attend the whole Conference which opens on Tuesday morning at Carden Park near Chester and ends on Thursday lunchtime following a Question Time Panel including Sir Ronnie Flanagan, Jane Furniss, Chief Executive of the IPCC, Ken Jones, President of ACPO, Paul McKeever, Chair of the Police Federation, and Association President Ian Johnston.

* Please not there is no pre-conference registration required. Members of the Press should make their way to the Press Room at the venue with photographic ID and collect a Conference pass. Apologies but there is NO accommodation available at the Conference venue.