Police chief responds to claims South Yorkshire cops are 'fed up' and 'shattered'
and live on Freeview channel 276
The Police Federation, which represents rank and file officers, said this week that officers who had worked during the pandemic and were now covering for colleagues self-isolating after being pinged by the NHS app were feeling the strain.
Chairman Steve Kent said officers were working longer shifts to avoid having their much needed days off cancelled and many ‘are at the end of their tether’.
Advertisement
Hide AdAdvertisement
Hide Ad“It pains me to say but police officers in South Yorkshire have had enough…they are absolutely shattered; emotionally and physically,” he said.
“But the alternative to not working those long hours was to have officers being called in on their days off – having their all important and much needed rest days cancelled. Our view has been we’d rather have cops working longer than cops working their days off."
Chief Inspector Lydia Lynskey, of South Yorkshire Police, said: “We recognise the challenges our officers have faced throughout this pandemic and we are immensely proud of how hard they have worked in such unprecedented circumstances.
“The isolation requirements have placed additional pressures on the force through an increase in officer abstractions, however we have continued to put the needs of the public at the forefront of our operation and remain dedicated to providing the best service possible to the communities of South Yorkshire.
Advertisement
Hide AdAdvertisement
Hide Ad“It is testament to the to the commitment of our officers that this has been possible.
“Following the government announcement that police are now classified as critical workers and can, in specific circumstances be exempt from isolating to perform their duties, we have quickly adopted this approach and now have a dedicated testing programme in place to support this. We are already seeing a return of our staff as they return to work to minimise abstractions and reduce the demand on their colleagues.
“Once again the uptake of this voluntary process demonstrates the commitment and professionalism of not only the officers but the police staff who are working tirelessly at the moment to serve the public of South Yorkshire.”