One of the things we are proud of being able to do here at Emergency Services Humour & Emergency Services News, is to give a voice to the courageous men and women who serve in the emergency services, NHS & prison service.
That is why we always encourage people to contact us if ever there is anything they want to ‘get off of their chest’ or if ever there is something they want to share with our audience.
Three weeks ago, a PC shared a heartbreaking story with us about how he was subjected to a ‘witch hunt’ by the (then) Independent Police Complaints Commission (now ‘re-branded’ as the Independent Office For Police Conduct).
His story was read by tens of thousands of people, including his boss.
Well, here is an update from the PC himself:
“Just wanted to send a quick email and update following you printing my post about my IPCC investigation over 5 1/2 years.
“It turns out that I didn’t make it anonymous enough. Quite a few people have contacted me knowing it was me who wrote it including bosses within the job.
“I got a call from head of PSD in my force who has praised the article I wrote, told me both the force and the department were behind me and sincerely felt for me going through the IPCC investigation.
“His words were genuine and he couldn’t have offered enough support on the day he called.
“He has asked me to attend his department in the new year and give a talk on how it affected me, if I thought PSD could have improved anything they did in the investigation or the support they gave me.
“He is all for the department learning from this which is reassuring.
“I also got a call from the Chief Con who had read the article himself.
“I think he was later told it was me by someone else in the force who obviously recognised my story.
“I genuinely thought I was going to be in the s**t but it couldn’t be further from the truth. He supported the article and has asked if I mind him using it as a case study to write to the IOPC and speak to them over lengthy investigations and the impact they have on officers and their families.
“He said he was sorry for what I went through and told me that he did everything he could when it was put before him for consideration for misconduct as he did not believe it should have gone to misconduct.
“Unfortunately the IPCC overruled him.
“He was genuine in his words and offered me his full support going forward.I was genuinely touched by his kind words and it went a long way to believing that their are some bosses out there who care about their bobbies.
“Not a lot of Chiefs would have done that and I’ll be honest in saying it put a lump in my throat.
“To see that a person as busy as he is, took the time to speak to me, someone he doesn’t know, someone he didn’t have to speak to and offer his support was a good thing to do in my eye.
“I already had a good impression of him but this has increased that ten fold.
“Lastly, I have sought legal advice and all I’ll say is it’s looking promising.
“I’m hoping the new year will bring better news and justice for being put through hell and back over five and half years but I’m not counting my chickens.
“I really appreciate you printing the article.
“If nothing else, it’s raised awareness and at least it’s got some people thinking and prepared to stand up.
“I think a few people have finally said enough is enough who are in a position to do something about it….. or at least try.
“I can finally say that this year is going to be a good Christmas with the kids and the other half.
“Simply seeing the support of people on your page who don’t know me but we’re as outraged as I was has gone a long way to helping me finally sort my head.
“Im on the road to getting back to some sort of normality.
“Hopefully the new year will bring a new role (if I find one I can apply for) and fresh start”.
-Anonymous
As this PC said, there really are some top management out there who genuinely care about the welfare of their staff and we wholeheartedly salute the members of Senior Management who reached out to this Officer.
We have always said, that accountability IS good and IS necessary.
But cases such as this one went far, far above any decent notion of ‘accountability’.
And pretty much everyone who read this officers story and who commented on the post lending support to the officer (both individuals inside and outside of the emergency services family) agreed with this sentiment.
On a personal note, I am glad that we have been able to highlight what some officers have gone through and, in some cases, are STILL going through.
Trust me when I say this, that the people who want the ‘bad apples’ gotten rid of the most, are the ‘good apples’.
And, as with ANY organisation, there will always be some bad apples – such is the nature of humanity.
But this officer was subjected to a form of treatment that we do not even expect the worst of humanity to have to endure.
I am glad that this officer and his family are getting the support they so truly deserve and I truly hope that this officer got the family Christmas he deserved but was kept from him for nearly 6 years.
And I hope that no other officer ever has to endure the same 6 years of torment that this officer was forced to go through at the hands of what many see as a witch hunt by the (then) IPCC.
To read this officers story, click here –>
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Unfortunately this is now an all too familiar thing from most of the cops I know…..the drip in the bucket scenario that we all were taught at training school and were told we could get TRiM’d for if we needed it. How many times working on the rape team and frontline dealing with some horrendous RTC’s or sudden etc was I told “we’ll get you TriM’d” and I’m still waiting!
6 months off sick and pushed to return to work, first on restricted and now on adjusted duties with just over a year before I get to 30 years and my workload now is bigger than it was before I went into mental meltdown!
Cop(ex), I hope you find the life you deserve outside the job that you so richly deserve for all the hard work done and sacrifices you have made.