Pocket Sergeant

For too long, concerns have been raised about the fairness, delays, devastating personal impact and human cost of police misconduct proceedings. Now, the Government has launched a formal call for evidence as part of an independent review of the police accountability system in England and Wales. We know many of you have experienced misconduct proceedings, supported a colleague through them, or witnessed shortcomings in the system, now is your opportunity to make your voice heard. Deadline: 15 January 2027 Share your experiences directly with the review: 🔗 homeofficesurveys.homeoffice…

IT STOPS NOW CAMPAIGN - WHAT A COUPLE OF WEEKS! It’s been a busy fortnight, with coverage from @itvnews, Teesside Live, @TheNorthernEcho, @peterboroughtel, @Police_Oracle and @PolicingInsight helping us raise awareness of police suicide and the urgent need for change. But behind the scenes, much of our time has been spent researching officers we’ve lost to suicide. We launched with just 8 names on our Wall of Remembrance. We now have 140. And sadly, I suspect we’ve only scratched the surface. Reading their stories has been heartbreaking. They’re people with families, friends, colleagues and lives outside of the job. 🕯️ itstopsnow.co.uk/wall-of-rem…

Following the tragic loss of Cleveland Police officer PC Matty Blades, we wanted to do something thoughtful for his two boys and the football teams that meant so much to him. Matty was due to begin coaching Seaton Carew FC U7 Seahawks this season, where his youngest son plays. Sadly, he never got that opportunity. I recently had the absolute pleasure of meeting Matty’s wife, Sarah and their two boys. What a lovely family. Through Pocket Sergeant, we’re proud to be sponsoring training jackets for both of Matty’s boys’ football teams, including their coaches. But we wanted this to be about more than sponsorship. We hoped we could include a small tribute to Matty on the jackets. Something that might start a conversation on the touchline, perhaps even with opposition players and parents. An opportunity for someone to ask who Matty was and for his story to be told. After speaking with Sarah and the coaches, they asked whether we could include Matty’s surname and what was his playing number, 13, on the sleeve. That’s exactly what we’ve done. Best of luck for the season Seahawks and Lions!

We have persistently lobbied politicians, approached the media and challenged those responsible for policing over the growing number of officers losing their lives to suicide. Yet action remains painfully slow. Meanwhile, organisations continue to watch on, and we believe their failure to act makes them complicit in allowing this to continue. When officers are struggling and families are losing loved ones and when repeated calls for change appear to fall on deaf ears, what options are left? It increasingly feels as though police officers may need the right to strike to force change and demand the protections they deserve. How many more lives must be lost before those in power take decisive action?

According to The Sun, a long-serving Metropolitan Police officer in his 50s has been found dead at Kensington Police Station, just days before he was due to face misconduct proceedings after failing a workplace alcohol test. When is the government going to get a grip on the welfare crisis facing our police officers? We need greater compassion and understanding from police leaders, particularly when officers may already be struggling with their mental health or personal circumstances. Our thoughts are with his devastated family, friends and colleagues. Please sign this petition. We need to pause disciplinary proceedings: c.org/GFrwf7pYJs

We want to say a huge thank you to Amanda Evitts for her incredible courage and strength. Not only has Amanda worked with us to honour Owen through his profile on the It Stops Now Wall of Remembrance, but she has also bravely shared her story with @ITV to help shine a light on the issues we are fighting to change. The ITV report has now been picked up across several regions and there is growing interest in police misconduct procedures and what really goes on behind closed doors. These are conversations that desperately need to happen. We are incredibly grateful to have Amanda, alongside other bereaved families, standing with us as we push for change. Their courage, voices and the memories of those they have lost are at the very heart of It Stops Now. We will keep telling their stories, asking difficult questions and pushing for change. You can watch the ITV piece here: 📺 itv.com/watch/news/police-of… To find out more about Owen’s story, visit here: 🕯️ itstopsnow.co.uk/wall-of-rem…

A Derbyshire detective is under investigation over allegations involving Microsoft Copilot. But this raises two very important questions. Do officers really understand the dangers of relying on AI for policing decisions? And is the misconduct response proportionate? AI can make mistakes, invent information and produce convincing but legally incorrect answers. And entering personal or sensitive policing information into an unapproved AI system could have serious consequences. We’ve written an article explaining the risks, why general-purpose AI cannot replace professional judgement and why policing needs clear guidance and common sense. At Pocket Sergeant, we’re also interested in developing safer AI-assisted policing tools, with the help of specialist officers. Read the full article here 👇 itstopsnow.co.uk/stories/gro…

For a moment, this morning, we thought the Police Federation was declaring an emergency within its own organisation. After all, seven people connected to the Federation have been arrested in an ongoing fraud and bribery investigation. But no. It’s another announcement about how badly policing is affecting officers. The figures are genuinely shocking and we shouldn’t dismiss them. But perhaps the Federation could start by rebuilding confidence in its own organisation before announcing yet another crisis. Officers need meaningful change, not headlines that carry zero legal weight. And maybe a Federation that remembers who it’s supposed to represent……

A Special Constable has been dismissed after allegedly failing to pay for three Sainsbury’s carrier bags worth just £1.20. We’ve submitted a Freedom of Information request to West Mercia Police to establish the estimated cost of the investigation and subsequent accelerated misconduct hearing. But there’s another cost that cannot be measured in pounds and pence. What is the psychological toll of being investigated and having your name dragged through a public misconduct hearing? Nobody is suggesting wrongdoing should go unchallenged. But surely we should be asking questions about proportionality, public expenditure and the human consequences of these processes. We’ll share the FOI response when we receive it.

We are proud to have backed It Stops Now and the Wall of Remembrance, honouring police officers and staff we have lost to suicide. Created alongside bereaved families, the Wall provides a lasting place to remember their loved ones, share tributes and light a virtual candle in their memory. If you have lost someone from our policing family, we would welcome you to get in touch. Please take a moment to visit the Wall, read their stories and remember them. itstopsnow.co.uk/wall-of-rem…

NEW CAMPAIGN LAUNCH - POLICE SUICIDE. “Following the death of Jon Ezard, I couldn’t even bring myself to attend his funeral. I knew it would have broken me. “On the day of Jon’s funeral, I sat at home, alone, trying to work out how we could bring together a diverse group of people, united by one purpose: to shine a light on police suicide and the circumstances that can contribute to it. “Months later, I’m proud to announce the launch of It Stops Now which is supported by Pocket Sergeant. “ It’s been months in the making, bringing together bereaved families, serving and former officers, coroners officers, academics, medical professionals and others who believe things need to change. They’re all unbelievable people who love our cops. “I don’t pretend to have all the answers. But I hope we can help start difficult conversations, challenge the status quo and influence positive change.” ~ Paul Please check out the website: 🔗 itstopsnow.co.uk

A Suffolk Police officer has received a five-year final written warning after being found guilty of gross misconduct over his use of force during a violent arrest. The suspect had reportedly threatened people with a metal pole, punched an officer and resisted arrest. Taser and PAVA were deployed during the struggle. PC Samuel Robinson was subsequently charged with actual bodily harm but acquitted by a jury in December 2024. Despite that acquittal, a misconduct panel found his use of force was unnecessary and disproportionate. Does anyone else question why this case still resulted in a gross misconduct finding after a criminal acquittal? Officers must be accountable for excessive force, but surely this raises questions about the relationship between criminal proceedings and police misconduct processes. 🔗 policeconduct.gov.uk/news/gr…

What a lovely touch from @Boro 💙❤️