Cambridgeshire Police Federation chair Liz Groom has called for the highest minimum standards for uniform following the publication of a critical new report.
Liz said policing needed to end the ‘postcode lottery’ around kit and equipment.
She was speaking after the publication of the National Uniform and Equipment Survey.
According to the study, police officers and staff in England and Wales are frustrated with their uniforms which they say, are unfit for purpose, restrictive, and contribute to health issues.
The survey heard from 20,8383 respondents, of which 86% were police officers and 14% police staff, with 34% female and 66% male.
The majority of respondents (56%) in England and Wales reported their overall experience of wearing the police uniform as negative. The figure within Cambridgeshire Constabulary was lower than the national average at 48%.
The study also found that 52% of respondents in Cambridgeshire Police had reported at least one health issue believed to be caused or made worse by their uniform. This was also below the national figure of 60%. Health issues could include musculoskeletal damage, crushed testicles, and crushed breasts, said researchers.
Liz said: “We are aware that there are issues for our members with their kit and this survey, which is the first of its kind in this country, really shines a light on them.
“And while Cambridgeshire is performing better than many forces, there are still far too many officers who are reporting that their uniform is impacting their health and wellbeing, and their performance.
“As a service, it is time to bring an end to this postcode lottery.
“We need the highest minimum standards for uniform so that it is fit for purpose for as many officers as possible.
“We will be sharing the report with the Force and offering to work with it to see what can be done to improve things for our members in the short term.”
The National Uniform and Equipment Survey was led by Dr Camilla De Camargo and Dr Stephanie Wallace, from Lancaster University Law School, working in collaboration with Police Federation of England & Wales’s (PFEW) senior researcher Sahrish Khan, and the National Police Chiefs’ Council.
Dr De Camargo said: “We are shocked by the results but, unfortunately, not surprised – it is important to be able to highlight these issues on such a large scale.
“We hope this evidence can lead to impactful changes that improve the lives of uniform wearers every day.”
Almost seven out of 10 (69%) of respondents reported negative experiences with cargo trousers. This was the most challenging item of clothing, PFEW said.
The report found that 61% of officers in England and Wales say their body armour ‘worsened their uniform experience’. This was the second most problematic item of uniform.
PFEW’s headline recommendations to improve uniform and equipment echoed Liz’s call for the highest minimum national standards.
Their recommendations also included establishing a single point of accountability in the form of a Strategic Uniform Board, and to have continuous review and feedback.
PFEW National Board members Belinda Goodwin and Zac Mader, who have worked closely with the researchers, said: “The national survey findings are disquieting to the say the least.
“Our officers put their lives on the line day in and day out to provide the highest standards of service which the public rightly expects from them.
“Yet, seven in 10 officers find their uniform restricts their movement thereby reducing their effectiveness, while more than five in 10 officers find their current body armour uncomfortable.
“These factors significantly heighten risk to officer safety and impact their ability to keep their communities safe.
“How can it be right that on one hand our employers (Chief Constables) and the Government are adopting modern technology and costly artificial intelligence assisted equipment such as drones, and on the other hand they refuse to invest in basic day-to-day equipment such as new age uniform and body armour for our officers and staff?
“We ardently appeal to our employers and the Government to wake up and take cognisance of the independent evidence obtained by this pioneering study to immediately devote resources to provide our officers with uniform that is fit for purpose and fit for all.”