With frontline staff working 12-hour shifts, pivotal police staff working remotely from home and many Special Constabulary officers voluntarily working to help keep Gloucestershire safe, the county’s Police and Crime Commissioner raised concern for the physical and mental wellbeing of Gloucestershire Constabulary’s staff.
In a webcast between Chief Constable Rod Hansen and Police and Crime Commissioner, Martin Surl, the pair discussed welfare and morale as officers and staff move into the eighth week of policing the lockdown.
The Chief Constable reassured PCC Martin Surl that the constabulary was “not complacent on anything to do with welfare.” As one of the biggest employers in the county, Chief Constable Hansen went on to say: “The PPE situation has improved and is adequate for our staff, we’re also treading carefully when it comes to the wear-and-tear that 12-hour shifts can have on our staff.”
During the webcast, both the PCC and the Chief Constable agreed that staff are doing a great job, despite referencing two recent incidents where officers were assaulted. The first involved an officer receiving a cut lip as they took a detainee into hospital for treatment and the second saw an officer injured whilst dealing with a violent shoplifter.
Police and Crime Commissioner, Martin Surl commented on the Chief’s response: “I’m pleased to hear that the mental and physical wellbeing of staff is being taken seriously by the Constabulary. Many staff in my own office and across the Force continue to complete their important work remotely from home, which can be mentally taxing for a number of reasons. Meanwhile,
frontline officers continue to risk their own health to keep Gloucestershire’s communities safe, so I’m reassured that staff welfare is still high on the agenda.
