Suffolk Police Federation

23/10/2026

🗣 POLICING'S HUGE TOLL ON OFFICERS' HEALTH

Policing is making its people sick, the Police Federation of England and Wales (PFEW) has warned.

PFEW has declared policing a public health emergency as new research highlights the toll of the job on officers’ health and wellbeing.

The Federation’s 2026 Pay and Morale Survey found that 78 per cent of respondents had experienced stress, low mood or anxiety in the previous 12 months. Of those, 94 per cent said their work had caused or worsened their condition.

Two-thirds of officers said fatigue had made it difficult to carry out their duties, while 76 per cent reported that exhaustion had affected their family or social life.

Speaking to PFEW’s annual conference, acting deputy national chair Paul Williams (pictured) said the findings could no longer be treated as the inevitable consequences of working in policing.

“Policing is a service making its people sick,” he said. “We are asking officers to respond to life-or-death emergencies, protect victims and run towards danger, while routinely denying them the rest, resources and support they need to do their jobs safely.

“The service has become so accustomed to operating under pressure that it no longer recognises the warning lights on its own dashboard.

“We cannot allow another generation of officers to believe that breakdown is simply part of the job.”

The survey received 18,537 responses from constables, sergeants, inspectors and chief inspectors.

It highlights the consequences of a policing model the Federation said relied too heavily on exhausted officers working beyond sustainable limits.

https://bit.ly/3WIOOh9
(PIC: ANDERSON PHOTOGRAPHY)

22/10/2026

👮 PFEW CONFERENCE: BADENOCH PLEDGES 10,000 EXTRA OFFICERS

Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch has pledged to recruit 10,000 additional police officers, including 2,000 in crime hotspots.

However, Badenoch warned that policing cannot continue replacing experienced officers who leave because of mounting pressures and low morale.

Badenoch, who attended the Police Federation of England and Wales (PFEW) Annual Conference and addressed delegates, said officers needed more frontline colleagues, less unnecessary paperwork and better support to do the job.

She also criticised the Labour Government for failing to send a representative to the PFEW conference for the second consecutive year.

“I want you to know that I have your back,” she told delegates.

Badenoch said a Conservative Government would create 50,000 additional prison places, reduce administrative burdens on officers and use technology, including artificial intelligence and live facial recognition, to help investigations.

Badenoch told Conference the scale of the challenge was reflected in PFEW’s latest Pay and Morale Survey findings.

She said the results showed that more than half of officers reported low morale and nearly a quarter intended to resign within two years or as soon as possible.

“We need to recruit the right people and prepare them for the realities of the job,” she said. “Recruitment is only part of the answer. We also need to make sure that once we have good officers, we keep them.

“Policing used to be a career that people loved, but I know many former police officers who didn't feel that way by the end.

“You cannot just keep recruiting new officers to replace the good ones who have left.

“That is no way to run a police service. This should be a job people love. We want you to love your job, and we are going to make it a job that you love again.”

FULL STORY: https://tinyurl.com/4j2hhzba

22/10/2026

🗓️ PFEW ANNUAL CONFERENCE 2026: DAY ONE PUTS OFFICER WELFARE, FAIR PAY AND FEDERATION REFORM IN THE SPOTLIGHT

New investment in officer wellbeing, demands for fairer pay and working conditions, and a renewed commitment to organisational change dominated the opening day of the Police Federation of England and Wales (PFEW) Annual Conference 2026.

Held under the theme ‘The Real State of Policing’, the two-day conference opened on Wednesday 21 October, bringing together Federation representatives, national leaders and delegates to examine the challenges facing policing and the action needed to better support officers.

From a multimillion-pound funding announcement to progress on reducing bureaucracy, Day One featured several significant developments:

- Policing Minister Sarah Jones opened proceedings with a video address announcing £2.4 million in funding to improve mental health and trauma support for police officers.

- Former West Midlands Police detective inspector and operational fi****ms commander Rebecca Kalam shared her experiences of challenging discrimination, harassment and victimisation within policing, describing the impact on her career, health and family.

- Acting national secretary Mel Warnes used her conference address to renew calls for substantial improvements to police pay, conditions and workplace protections.

- WAVES, the Federation's Witness and Victim Engagement Support programme, was officially launched.

- There was an update of important progress around the Federation's four-year hashtag campaign.

- The future direction of PFEW was examined during a panel discussion involving Paul Williams, Mel Warnes and interim chief executive officer Gabriel Miland, who acknowledged the damage caused by recent events involving national leadership and outlined proposals designed to rebuild confidence in the organisation.

READ IN FULL: https://tinyurl.com/52yn6zvj

📸 Image credit: Anderson Photography

21/10/2026

Branch chair Darren Harris and Fed Rep Chris Smy discuss the importance of the Police Federation of England and Wales' Annual Conference.

21/10/2026

🗣️ PFEW LEADERS PLEDGE TO REBUILD TRUST AND DELIVER MEANINGFUL CHANGE

Police Federation leaders acknowledged the need to rebuild trust, improve accountability, and drive meaningful cultural change during a frank discussion at this year's Annual Conference.

During a frank panel discussion about the future of the Federation, acting deputy national chair Paul Williams, acting National Secretary Mel Warnes and interim Chief Executive Officer Gabriel Milland faced questions about the future of the organisation, its credibility and plans to create a stronger, more united Federation.

The discussion, chaired by host Ian Collins, addressed the challenges facing the Federation following recent events involving its senior leadership, with delegates questioning how meaningful cultural change could be achieved and whether the organisation could restore its credibility with members and the Government.

Opening the discussion, Mel acknowledged that members had every right to feel disappointed and angry about what had happened.

“Members are absolutely right to be shocked and angry, feel let down, I'm sure,” she said, adding: “We've not got things right, and we need to do better. And we're honest about that.”

However, she stressed that the Federation remained an organisation worth fighting for.

“This is a Federation that's worth fighting for, and that's what this transformation programme is about, because we need to build that trust.”

Gabriel outlined the proposed structural changes, explaining that independent reviews informed the transformation programme and produced 49 recommendations.

He said the changes were designed to create a more transparent and accountable organisation, with clearer leadership responsibilities and stronger oversight.

The proposals included replacing the separate national chair and secretary roles with a single general secretary position, reducing the size of the National Board and strengthening the responsibilities of the National Council.

Independent non-executive directors are also being introduced to provide additional scrutiny and challenge.

Gabriel said the changes were essential to ensuring the Federation could properly represent its members.

“We need to get ourselves into a situation where we can be the organisation that our members need us to be,” he said.

READ MORE: https://tinyurl.com/sbf7ujte

< 📸 PIC - A panel of PFEW leaders speak at the organisation's 2026 Annual Conference. Image credit: Anderson Photography >

21/10/2026

CONFERENCE OPENS WITH LOOK AT LIFE ON THE FRONTLINE

The Police Federation of England and Wales (PFEW) has opened its Annual Conference by promising an honest account of the pressures facing officers, and a look at its own shortcomings.

This year’s two-day event, titled ‘The Real State of Policing’ was opened by acting deputy national chair Paul Williams (pictured), who said the reality is one of officers starting a shift exhausted from the last, and of an unsustainable workforce being expected to fill the gaps left by others.

He spoke about officers trying to be a mum, a dad, a husband, a wife and a friend at the end of it all.

“That’s the real state of policing,” he told delegates.

Paul said the Federation would speak honestly over the next two days about the pressures facing members and their families, covering pay, welfare, working conditions, the future of the service, and what reform must mean for the people expected to deliver it.

The Federation would also look at itself, he said, including where it had got things wrong and what it needed to change to represent members properly.

Behind every debate, statistic and headline, he said, are people who put on a uniform and accept responsibilities that most of the public will never have to carry.

Paul also remembered colleagues lost through illness and, tragically, su***de. “Behind every one of those deaths is a family grieving,” he said, before asking everyone in the room to stand. The room then remembered this year’s Roll of Honour, which records officers who have died on duty.

FULL STORY:

The Police Federation of England and Wales (PFEW) has opened its Annual Conference by promising an honest account of the pressures facing officers, and a look at its own shortcomings.

20/10/2026

🪑 A LASTING PLACE TO REMEMBER MATT

A memorial bench has been installed at Suffolk Police Headquarters in memory of Acting Detective Sergeant Matt Burgin-Powell.

The bench gives colleagues, friends and members of the wider community a place to sit, reflect and remember the much-loved officer, who died aged 32 following a cardiac arrest in November last year.

Having served with Suffolk Police Force for seven years, Matt was remembered as a ‘selfless’ officer who cared deeply about his colleagues and the public, and who took seriously his pledge to preserve life.

Now, a new bench at Police Headquarters is providing a lasting tribute to him.

The bench is situated in the smoking area at the entrance to the football fields - a place regularly used by officers and staff, as well as being accessible to members of the wider community.

“I think it’s a really nice way for people to remember Matt,” said Matt’s husband, Luke, adding: “He would love the fact that the bench is there.”

Luke said that with Matt being a smoker, the location was a particularly appropriate and slightly ironic choice for his memorial.

And the family deliberately chose a bench rather than a more traditional memorial.

“I didn’t want a rose planted for him,” Luke said. “This is far more fitting for him.

“Others can use this. It’s an informal but lovely way of people remembering someone.”

READ MORE: https://bit.ly/3U9Y25b
Suffolk Constabulary Official Page

12/10/2026

👨‍⚖️ FREE FAMILY LAW ADVICE FOR MEMBERS

Suffolk Police Federation officers can get a free initial consultation on family law matters through member services partner Barker Gotelee Solicitors.

The consultation provides members with an opportunity to discuss their circumstances with a specialist family lawyer and receive initial advice on their options.

The next one takes place on Tuesday 20 October with the last consultation of 2026 on Tuesday 17 November.

Barker Gotelee’s family law team advises on a range of issues, including divorce and ending civil partnerships, financial settlements, separation agreements, pre-nuptial agreements, and children’s matters including contact and residence.

The free consultation is by appointment only and must be arranged at least seven days in advance.

They are held at the Barker Gotelee offices in Barrack Square, opposite BT Adastral Park in Martlesham Heath. There is a large, free on-site car park.

To make an appointment call 01473 611211 and ask for the family team or send an email.

09/10/2026

🧠 WMHD: OFFICERS URGED TO PRIORITISE THEIR MENTAL HEALTH

Police officers should treat their mental health as essential to staying well in a demanding job, says Suffolk Federation chair Darren Harris, urging colleagues to use World Mental Health Day to check in with themselves and others.

The unique pressures of policing mean officers can be exposed repeatedly to traumatic, distressing and emotionally difficult situations, often with little time to process what they have experienced.

Darren, who has experienced those pressures himself, said it was important officers did not assume that simply getting on with the job meant they were unaffected.

“Policing can be an incredibly rewarding career, but it is also incredibly demanding,” he said.

“You can deal with a deeply traumatic or emotional incident, and then you are expected to carry on with your shift and deal with the next call.

“Sometimes you don’t have the time to process what you have just seen or dealt with. You just carry on because there is another job to do.

“But those experiences can stay with you, and over time they can have an impact.”

Darren said the job's pressures could also be compounded by what officers were dealing with outside work, including family issues, health concerns, and financial pressures.

“It can all add up and take a toll,” he said.

“That’s why World Mental Health Day is a good opportunity to remind officers that looking after your mental health is not something you should only think about when things get really bad.

“It is about recognising the impact the job can have and doing something about it.”

READ MORE: https://bit.ly/3VW3B7S

08/10/2026

🌟 EQUALITY LEAD EMMA 'IMMENSELY PROUD' TO BE NOMINATED FOR INAUGURAL FED REP AWARD

Branch equality and wellbeing lead Emma Arthurs-Newman has reacted to being nominated for the inaugural ‘Fed Rep of the Year’ award set to be handed out at the Police Federation of England and Wales (PFEW) Annual Conference.

Emma has received her nomination in recent weeks and will go up against officials from every other regional Federation branch, with a judging panel to determine who will be selected for the first-ever edition of the award.

For the 48-year-old, however, being crowned winner could only ever represent a bonus to the appreciation she already feels after being put forward for such a title.

Making this recognition all the more satisfying for Emma is that it comes at a time when she is approaching a decade of association with Suffolk Police Federation as well as 23 years in the profession altogether.

“Honestly, my happiness around the nomination is already at its maximum – there’s nothing that could make me feel more honoured than I already do. I’m just thrilled to have been thought of in this way, and I have a lot of gratitude for that,” she said.

“When I first found out about it, there was the obvious shock, and then I just felt immensely proud. I usually tell people off for playing down their awards and achievements, particularly in a job like policing where you can sometimes feel undervalued, so I suppose I can’t be a hypocrite now when it comes to myself.

“But what I will say is that I could not do the work I do without the support of so many other people. I might be the one getting the attention here, but that is only happening because of the team I am so fortunate to find myself a part of.”

READ MORE: https://bit.ly/4jMyiWV