Time to pay tribute to uniformed officers whose work is invaluable in our community.

Across the country today, thousands of uniformed officers will be going out doing what has been accepted as probably the most challenging job in our society. Their work really is invaluable across our community and the level of their work is quite outstanding.

Fortunately most are extremely dedicated to their job and despite the horrendous challenges they face, they still dearly love their work.

It has been labelled as a job like no other, a job where anything could happen and no two situations are alike.

These officers are the vital foundations of policing, they are what makes a difference. They are the public’s first involvement with the police. They are the first responders to an awful event that has taken place. Alongside dedicated ward officers, these officers work hand in hand with communities right across the country and it is them that the public meet daily.

When the call comes for help, these officers are the first on scene, regardless of the situation. Due to shortages in other emergency services and of course the austerity cuts, it means that it is the police that are pretty much always first on scene no matter what.

Not only are they first on scene but are also expected to then investigate these incidents, interview people, gather evidence; all this whilst still answering incoming calls.

Imagine that as you sit behind your desk this morning. You have to answer vital calls, complete workload to present to your boss whilst still answering phone calls and remember that somebody’s life could be in danger, anything else?

Their shifts are long and their meal times are short, but once again the work they do really is life saving. They try to manage ongoing crime enquiries whilst still managing incoming calls.

They save lives regularly, they help thousands daily, they make a huge difference in a person’s life when they are at their lowest.

A mother was on her way to collect her five year old daughter from school when she was robbed of her phone and her belongings on her way. When she arrived at her daughter’s school, she informed the school staff what had happened and the police was called. Response officers arrived and her crime was noted. One officer who saw the mother in such a distress and unable to get home as she had lost everything, took it upon himself to provide her and her daughter with money to get home. The mother was moved to tears by this act of kindness from the officer.

Stories like this are not shared with the public, it is only the negative side that is shared. Yet there are many across the country that have made a person’s day.

Sadly it is our uniformed officers that are always the first to be abused and assaulted, and when things go wrong, it is always them that carry the can.

So many feel under valued and under appreciated due to the ongoing anti police narrative that holds firmly in our society. So many lack the right equipment or levels of staff they should have due to the brutal cuts that have taken place over such a long period.

Our British Bobby really holds a place in our society and despite what so many would have you believe, they really are respected by our communities who do realise the incredible strain they are under.

Let us pay tribute today to all uniformed officers, from an incredible police chief superintendent who has dedicated his life to supporting his officers and is himself a hero, to all the officers who do an amazing job in our community and repeatedly put their life on the line for us.

To finish, here are the words of a response officer: “It is not the volume of workload or difficult calls, or even the gruesome sites and smells we see. It is the lack of support, the public and the media that challenges us the most and can make it an isolated existence.”

We thank you for everything you do for us.

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