Current Issues - 2004

December 2004

Facing Up To A Duty Of Care - PoliceBeat Editorial

In the year 2000 the Federation recognised the mental distress that had come to haunt thousands of serving and past officers of the RUCGC had not gone away with the decreasing violence. Following legal advice the Federation trawled 22,500 current and former officers with advice of a potential claim and subsequently launched a court action against the Chief Constable as the employer.

The cost of financing the action is enormous largely because of the obstructive tactics of the Government who ultimately would carry the costs of a successful action. The Federation has shouldered the burden until its own financial viability was becoming jeopardised.

The Federation has to recognise a duty of responsibility to serving and future members as well as past members and must act prudently.

The decision to introduce a £25 monthly contribution from members of the group action was taken only reluctantly but had become inescapable. However, such is the feeling of injustice among the group participants that by the deadline for commitment at the end of November, the evidence was that the support for continuation remained strong. They are right to do so, just as the Federation was morally right in instigating the legal action.

The case is against a Government that is apparently not prepared even to admit the existence of post trauma mental illness or that their failure to institute consistent and effective arrangements to help officers prepare and to cope with trauma was part of the Force’s duty of care. What is required is for officers who have been psychologically maimed by years of devoted service to be granted access to the basic medical care that they have been denied for so many years.

There is a public interest in this case and one which should relieve the Federation of the financial risk it currently must carry. The Government should discharge its responsibilities fully by removing that one-sided risk and by speeding up the progress of the action.

The officers and their families who continue to be tormented by the horrific scenes of the past deserve better than further years of a Government dodging its responsibilities.