PFEW chair Tiff Lynch addressing the conference
Amid a year of mounting pressure on policing, the Police Federation of England and Wales (PFEW) opened its annual conference with a renewed call for recognition, fairness, and meaningful reform.
Central to the discussion was the Copped Enough campaign, which has ‘transformed the national debate on policing and amplified officers’ voices across England and Wales’.
PFEW chair Tiff Lynch set the tone for day one by highlighting the campaign’s momentum and its impact over the past 12 months.
“One year ago, we said ‘enough is enough’,” she told delegates.
“We told the country that police officers deserve fair pay and respect – and the people have listened. Copped Enough has become more than a campaign. It’s a movement. It’s put policing back at the centre of the national conversation. And it’s united, our members are reminded the public that behind every uniform is a person who deserves to be valued.”
Copped Enough was created to expose issues such as stagnant pay, high workloads, declining morale and the worsening recruitment and retention problem.
A conference video featuring deputy national chair Brian Booth detailed early successes and the growing political influence behind the campaign.
Brian described how the joint voice of 145,000 members is opening doors in Westminster.
“The campaign has worked really well when we’re engaging with MPs,” he said. “We’ve tabled a bill within the House of Lords for the recording of police officer suicide, something which has never been done before. We’re also now looking at police driving legislation. We’ve managed to secure some absolutely fantastic pay awards, and we’re influencing government massively.”
He celebrated the commitment of Federation representatives, improved communications and a wave of new volunteers.
He said: “Behind every investigation, there’s a hard-working Fed rep. We’re getting stronger day by day.”
The conference, held at Birmingham’s National Exhibition Centre and the first in-person event since 2022, also gave Tiff the chance to reflect on a turbulent few years for policing.
“Here we are, still standing, shoulder to shoulder, and we’re still fighting for fairness,” she said, describing the event as a moment to ‘reconnect’ and bring the Federation family back together.
Day one included sessions on pay and conditions, support for officers’ families, and a keynote by PFEW chief executive Mukund Krishna. Awards were presented for Outstanding Contribution to Women in Policing and Detective of the Year.
Tomorrow’s programme, beginning at 9.20am, features Tiff’s keynote speech, a panel on policing’s suicide crisis, an update on #SimplifyDG6, and further award presentations.
You can re-watch today’s sessions and tune in live tomorrow via the PFEW YouTube channel.