Lancashire Police Federation would like to wish all our members and their families a happy and safe Christmas. Whilst some will be able to spend time with family, others will be working long hours during the busiest time of the year, keeping the rest of us safe.
In addition, some will not be able to spend time with loved ones due to the current restrictions, and even though they have been lifted slightly for the festive period, many will still not feel safe or comfortable mixing, even with close family. This year is going to be especially difficult for new unanticipated reasons.
Each year we look back at how challenging the year has been, it has without doubt been more demanding than anything we could have foreseen. Everyone has had to get a handle on new rules, laws, restrictions, with rules changing frequently and there has been a huge personal impact on each every one of us too.
The Federation have been involved in hundreds of Gold meetings since the start of the pandemic, representing the views of officers regarding all things COVID related, including discussions on annual leave, pay, working from home, childcare and health and safety matters.
Earlier on in the year we sent out 'brew funds' for all officers across the Force, a small gesture, but hopefully well received in the climate.
Looking forward to next year, I think we all hope that we get some kind of normality back, whilst appreciating this crisis is not yet over. There will continue to be a significant demand on policing next year, with new threats emerging. We will listen to any concerns you have and will work hard to influence and negotiate locally, to get the best we can for our colleagues.
Finally, if you're working over the Christmas period, please stay safe and look out for each other. If there are any incidents which require the assistance of the Police Federation, please contact us, we have reps available and on call throughout.
Lancashire Police Federation