Hertfordshire Police Federation, Stanborough Road, Welwyn Garden City (2026)

22/06/2026

⚽ WORLD CUP - FED REP SHARES SAFER GAMBLING ADVICE

Hertfordshire Police Federation representative James Stopford is encouraging members to be mindful of their gambling habits during the World Cup.

James has posted a series of tips to help colleagues stay in control of their betting during one of the major sporting events.

In a social media post, James highlighted how major sporting events can lead to increased gambling activity and encouraged people to take simple steps to stay in control.

He posted: “Bookmakers are all going to be fighting for your business and it'll be a significantly busy, and profitable, time for them all.

“Here are three tips ahead of this year's tournament....."

✅ Set a deposit limit. Through Safer Gambling initiatives, all bookmakers should offer deposit limits. These can be set to be daily/weekly/monthly or yearly and when turned on will be restricted behind a time limit before being turned back off.

✅ Opt out of marketing. Again, bookmakers should offer an option to turn off emails, texts and/or push notifications. With multiple games a day every bookmaker will be trying to reach customers by offering increased prices. If this constant approach is going to be too much, turn them off.

✅ Think of something you can buy with the money saved from not gambling.

HEAR MORE FROM JAMES: https://bit.ly/4w3Tpaj

09/06/2026

🕯️ IN MEMORY

Hertfordshire Police Federation today remembers a teenage police officer who died on his way to report for duty, on the anniversary of his death.

PC Peter Eykelbosch was just 19 when he died after his motorcycle was in collision with a lorry near St Albans on 9 June 1980.

Branch chair Luke Mitchell said: “Peter left home to report for duty that day and, like too many officers before him and since, did not return home to his loved ones.

“The fact that Peter was so young when he lost his life makes his death even more tragic.

“Today we pay tribute to Peter and the thoughts of Hertfordshire Police Federation are with his family, friends, and colleagues. We will never forget him.”

06/06/2026

🕯 IN MEMORY

Hertfordshire Police Federation today remembers a young police officer who died on duty on this day 37 years ago.

PC Jacqueline Brown was just 23 when she died from serious injuries after she lost control of her patrol car, which crashed on a bend in wet weather in the early hours of 6 June 1989.

Branch chair Luke Mitchell said: “Today we pause to remember PC Jacqueline Brown on the anniversary of her death.

“We remember her service to the Force and our communities, and we also keep her family, her friends, and her colleagues in our thoughts too.”

26/05/2026

ANGRY REACTION TO 'OVERNIGHT' CUT TO POLICE PENSIONS LUMP SUMS

Police officers in the 1987 Police Pension Scheme are facing an immediate reduction in the lump sums they receive at retirement, following a sudden change to commutation factors introduced last week.

The change was triggered by a Treasury decision to increase the SCAPE discount rate, with revised commutation factors applied with immediate effect.

Commutation factors determine how much cash an officer receives if they choose to give up part of their annual pension at retirement. Under the new factors, officers retiring from today will receive almost 5 per cent less lump sum for the same amount of pension surrendered than an officer retiring last week. That change is expected to cost police officers thousands of pounds each.

The Police Federation of England and Wales says the speed and timing of the change means some officers retiring now are being hit without warning, despite having received retirement quotations or benefit illustrations based on the previous factors only weeks earlier. That means officers may have already made financial decisions based on those figures.

Find out more from Police Federation National Secretary John Partington and branch chair Luke Mitchell ➡ https://bit.ly/42SEFyx

15/05/2026

🤝 HERTS FED INTRODUCE WEEKEND SHIFTS TO PUT MEMBERS FIRST

Hertfordshire Police Federation has introduced routine weekend working for its full-time representatives to increase visibility and support for members.

The branch is thought to be the first in England and Wales to have a seven-day working week.

Under the new operating model, full-time Fed reps are working from police stations across the Force area both on weekends and during the week.

Branch chair Luke Mitchell said: “I think we’re the first in the country to do this.

“Full-time officers have always been available to support members 24/7, but now we’re going to be working from police stations to support members over the weekend.

“We’ve implemented a seven-day footprint across the organisation, and members are already telling us it’s making a difference.”

The initiative has been running for five weeks and forms part of a three-month pilot. Rather than operating from headquarters Monday to Friday, Federation officials now hot-desk across stations and position themselves where issues arise.

Luke said that weekend working allows reps to engage with officers in a different way.

He said: “A lot of our work in the week is regulated, so working with partners such as barristers, law firms, and legal work.

“But at the weekend, there's more time to be off laptops, engaging with members, being in briefings, working across the stations, speaking to people, and getting that real understanding about what's going on in the Force or what we need to deal with."

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

13/05/2026

👉 FROM CADET TO CUSTODY SERGEANT - MY JOURNEY SO FAR

Having been mapped out since early childhood, it is little wonder Federation member Mitch Holloway’s policing career has already covered so much.

Born and raised in Stevenage, Mitch says he can remember having his heart set on working in the police from as young as four years old, when he would watch back-to-back episodes of Traffic Cops with his family and have his imagination captured.

By the time he was a teenager, these juvenile daydreams had already turned into serious ambitions, where he recalls ‘planning out what I needed to do to give myself the best chance of getting in’ and enrolling in Hertfordshire Constabulary’s police cadets at the soonest opportunity.

“Of course, policing is a vocation for everyone, but it’s fair to say I’m one of those people who never even considered anything else – in terms of job aspirations, it’s all I’ve ever really known,” Mitch said.

“When I joined the cadets, it was my first taste of what it would all be like, and it only made me even more determined to make a great career for myself in the Force.

“Now, that’s exactly what I have, and I want to keep this journey going by making it as enjoyable and rewarding as possible.”

At 26, Sergeant Mitch has already seen his police experience span the cadet system – where he has since returned as a leader of its Stevenage unit – the Special Constabulary, and his current capacity as a regular officer.

FULL STORY: https://bit.ly/4dncaxw

11/05/2026

🗓️ HANDS OFF OUR REST DAYS: HERTFORDSHIRE OFFICERS OWED 32,037 DAYS OFF

Policing is failing to cope with demand, says Hertfordshire Police Federation after it was revealed its members are collectively owed a staggering 32,000 rest days.

Branch chair Luke Mitchell said the figure raised concerns over officer welfare, morale, and ultimately, public safety.

Luke said: “The figure is truly shocking, but the depressing thing is it’s probably not a surprise.

“It is yet another sign of the incredible strain that policing is under, and the system cannot cope with the demand.

“Our members are humans, with families, friends, and commitments away from the job.

“They’re having fewer days to recuperate and are missing out on events in their personal lives, which is bound to impact their morale.”

The figure, which has been revealed following a Freedom of Information request, shows that, collectively across England and Wales, rank-and-file officers are owed a total of 817,884 rest days.

The news comes after the Police Federation of England and Wales (PFEW) launched its Hands off our rest days campaign in response to proposals from police chiefs to weaken protections for police officers’ rest days.

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

05/05/2026

📊 WORKING CONDITIONS DESCRIBED AS UNSAFE AND UNDERSTAFFED IN RESPONSE OFFICER SURVEY

New research from the Police Federation of England and Wales (PFEW) has revealed that more than nine in 10 response officers do not feel safe in their working conditions and believe they are operating in understaffed teams.

Nearly 2,000 frontline personnel from all 43 police forces across England and Wales took part in the survey. The findings were released during last week’s Response Policing Week.

Branch chair Luke Mitchell said the results reflect the mood among response officers locally in Hertfordshire.

He said: “Unfortunately, these findings come as no surprise to me. I know that so many of our branch members feel they are operating at their absolute limit at the moment - and those on response are no exception.

“These figures paint a picture of a policing area in crisis, where demand is rising while resources and working conditions are moving in the opposite direction.

“This is further confirmation that urgent action is needed to reform and strengthen the frontline before both officers and the public they serve are placed at even greater risk.”

READ MORE: https://bit.ly/3P9k4m2

22/04/2026

MANDATORY RECORDING OF OFFICER SUICIDES AGREED BY CHIEFS

Hertfordshire Police Federation has welcomed a move by police chiefs to make recording of police officer su***des and attempted su***des mandatory after a successful PFEW campaign.

The Police Federation of England and Wales (PFEW) called for the change to allow policing to fully understand the scale of the issue and take meaningful action to protect officers’ wellbeing.

Branch chair Luke Mitchell said: “This is a welcome and important step forward, and reflects the determined campaigning by PFEW, local branches, and our members.

“The number of officers dying by su***de or attempting su***de is frightening, but without consistent data, we don’t know the true picture.

“And without that vital information, policing has not been able to understand any underlying reasons, to identify patterns, and to drive meaningful change.

“This change acknowledges the seriousness of the issue and shows that officer welfare must remain a policing priority.

“And it shows how our collective voices can help to make positive changes.”

PFEW has been calling for the mandatory recording of police su***des and attempted su***des after figures revealed that between 2022 and 2025, at least 70 serving officers are known to have died by su***de.

FULL STORY: https://bit.ly/41Sm98S

21/04/2026

MAN SENTENCED AFTER VIOLENT 'UNPROVOKED ASSAULT' ON OFFICER

A ‘deeply serious and entirely unprovoked’ assault on a police officer that led to a fractured jaw has been described by Luke Mitchell as a stark reminder of the dangers faced by members on a daily basis.

Tyler McQuarrie, 26, was sentenced to more than four years in prison after admitting grievous bodily harm, possession with intent to supply Class A drugs (co***ne), possession with intent to supply Class B drugs (cannabis), and possession of cannabis.

The sentencing came after a single-crewed police constable stopped a vehicle driven by McQuarrie last October.

McQuarrie was detained under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971, and cannabis was found in his pocket. Without warning, he struck the officer with significant force before returning to the vehicle and driving off.

Despite being left injured at the roadside, bleeding and in shock, the officer attempted to detain McQuarrie by discharging his Taser. Colleagues arrived shortly afterwards to assist. Subsequent hospital scans confirmed the officer had suffered fractures to his jaw, eye socket and cheekbone.

McQuarrie was arrested the following day before being charged and remanded in custody.

Hertfordshire Police Federation chair Luke Mitchell said: “This was a deeply serious and entirely unprovoked assault on this officer while he was carrying out proactive policing duties - the very work he does every single day to protect the public.

“Despite his experience, professionalism and judgement, he was violently attacked, and the force used against him caused significant and lasting injury. Had the blow landed just millimetres differently, we could be speaking about a very different and far more tragic outcome today.

“Instead, we are talking about an officer whose life has been changed in every respect - physically, mentally, and professionally - as a result of one moment of senseless violence."

HEAR MORE FROM LUKE: https://bit.ly/4vD3uf3

Hertfordshire Police Federation

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