Sajid Javid to pledge new deal for ‘overstretched’ police in major speech
2 min read
Sajid Javid will today promise frontline police officers the "tools and back-up they need", in a bid to cool hostilities between the Government and force chiefs.
The Home Secretary is due to address the Police Federation for the first time, where he will strike a different tone to that of his predecessors.
Theresa May was heckled at a previous meeting in 2012 over government cuts when at the department, while Amber Rudd faced a frosty reception last year.
But Mr Javid will today pledge officers the “tools, the powers and back-up” needed for day-to-day policing
“I’m not arrogant enough to turn up here after three weeks in the job and tell you how to do yours,” he will tell members.
“What I will say is that I am listening and I get it. I get that there’s increased demand.”
He will add: “You’ve told me you’re feeling stretched, overburdened and not sufficiently rewarded… I know it’s frustrating when your rest days get cancelled – often at short notice.
“And I know your work can take its toll on your mental and physical health. And you deserve to be respected and valued.”
Mr Javid, whose brother is a policeman in the West Midlands, will speak of the impact on his own family.
Referring to his brother, he will add: "He's been hurt more times than I want to know from being assaulted on duty.
"I've seen the impact the job has on family life. And, as you would expect from a brother, he doesn't shield me from the truth."
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