Police Inspectorate highlights further Met Police failings but is there any consideration for the burnt out tired officers who have worked non stop for days?

Just as there was no magic money tree, there is no magic additional police officer tree that you shake daily and off pop fifty odd well trained officers ready to jump to action. These are the same officers being used time and time again.

According to the Police Inspectorate, the Metropolitan Police is failing in most fields of work. The Inspectorate reviewed the Met across nine different areas where they were assessed as either inadequate or requires improvement. For Londoners this does not make good reading.

Areas highlighted included the inconsistent way sex offenders were managed, the force not meeting its goal on reducing the number of outstanding suspects and significant issues in the standards of investigation amongst others.

As the part of the public the Met serve, this makes rather grim reading and would indeed make one feel a lack of confidence in this police service. All this alongside the regular cries of two tier policing and all the many other titles officers have been given.

It is worthy to note here that this is actually only a one sided view and to understand the reality of what our officers and policing is going through, all sides of this must be viewed.

Across east area yesterday, many of our officers were called to Redbridge following a period of celebrations. Across the capital this weekend will be a further list of events, marches, protests that require many public order trained officers. There are an infinite number of protests across London it seems. Last year, large scale protests in London cost £70 million. From January to March this year -it has cost £13.4million.

Policing such large scale events takes many officers away from their daily duty-where we start to see one of the reasons why this police force is having such difficulties. Just as there was no magic money tree, there is no magic additional police officer tree that you shake daily and off pop fifty odd well trained officers ready to jump to action. These are the same officers being used time and time again.

Here’s yet another side to policing. It is one of the most challenges roles in our society and has become without the shadow of a doubt the hardest. Due to the lack of numbers we have, these officers are now working every increasingly long shifts, facing even harder situations (if that is possible) and are starting to crumble. The mental and physical toll on each and everyone is at a critical point. They have faced years of constant criticism and finger pointing, being used as a political football for politicians, have had lack of support from their own senior leaders not willing to raise their heads above the precipit and of course being vilified and judged by the famous social media army who always know how to do their job better than them, yet somehow never actual know the reality of policing.

Probability that the officers you see on our streets are tired, burnt out and exhausted. They have all had rest days cancelled repeatedly to deal with the endless challenges London is experiencing. Many suffer with mental health issues and struggle themselves to keep going, yet do as they care about the community they serve.

Our frontline officers are always the first in the firing line to take the wrap for what has gone wrong, yet they are the ones who daily put their life on the line for us, including all those who abuse them.

Today’s news of the Met’s further failings will sadly not be seen in its full context and it will not highlight all the good work that there actually is taking place across our communities everyday by officers.

The Havering community was recently asked to be involved to help boost officer’s morale by donating free water and snacks for those who are working 12+hour shifts. The community came out in full force for their officers and the donations were vast.

There are many communities across London who do actually understand the pressures these officers face and support their police officers and the incredible work they do.

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