There is a crisis in policing in Wales. Crisis? Yes, crisis — because there is no other word that can be used when you consider that one officer in ten has plans to call it a day from Dyfed-Powys Police over the next two years or are actively seeking employment elsewhere right now.
When it comes to North Wales Police, one officer out of every eight is looking to get out of uniform or seeks another job.
And while it’s fine for documentary television series to try and paint a bright picture for those who join our local forces, the reality is that those who put their lives on the line for us every shift, do so knowing that they are understaffed, over-stretched and under-resourced to make a real difference.
The police system is broken from years of cuts from the Home Office.
Our officers now are expected to be community mental health workers, dealing with troubled clients who are at the bottom of the ladder when it comes to the care and attention they ought to receive from social services. But that system is broken from those same years of cuts.
Would our police officers be so burnt out if those they were in contact with had the proper services required for their alcohol- and drug-dependence issues?
These burn-out issues are not just specific to our region. Indeed, the Police Federation for England and Wales notes that some 8,000 officers packed the career in over the course of 2022. Put that number in perspective against the Conservative government’s pledge to hire 20,000 officers before 2025, and the sums equate to a status quo that is simply morale-sapping for officers.
This burn-out in our police forces reflects similar trends in all who work in the health and ambulance services. Those we depend upon in times of crisis, illness or emergency, are broken and demoralised. And the common thread is that they have borne the brunt of years of austerity from Westminster.
Now comes word that Jeremy Hunt is looking at a further £100 billion in cuts to public services.
Now, more than ever, Wales needs more powers to tax and spend for the people of Wales. Our over-stretched public sector workers need relief. And the one thing we know is that there is no credible plan emanating from London under the Conservatives.
The last 13 wasted years have shown that.