Police Federation Welsh lead Nicky Ryan has held talks with Samuel Kurtz, the Conservative Member of the Senedd for Carmarthen West and South Pembrokeshire, as part of her ongoing series of meetings with politicians to discuss issues facing policing in Wales.
The latest meeting with Samuel discussed a range of topics, including the Home Secretary’s Police Covenant and the need for it to be adopted in Wales, the availability of COVID-19 vaccines for frontline workers and the rising number of assaults against emergency services personnel.
The talks with prominent Senedd Members are part of Nicky’s campaign to ensure the Police Covenant is also adopted by the Welsh Government once it passes into law in Westminster.
Following the meeting, Samuel said: “It was great to have been given the opportunity to meet with Nicky Ryan and the Police Federation regarding the issues facing our emergency service personnel in Carmarthen West and South Pembrokeshire.”
“As decision-makers, we should all be doing everything we can to support our emergency service personnel, who time and time again, put their lives at risk to protect members of the public.
“Just recently, it was announced that Dyfed Powys had recruited 51 new police officers – making our streets even safer. The only way we can effectively fight crime is by ensuring our police force has the resources and manpower it needs. These additional officers will help support those already working hard to keep us safe.
Samuel finished: “The police covenant is a really important piece of law, that will create a statutory duty to do more to support our police officers. I’ll be urging my colleagues in the Welsh Government to adopt the covenant once it has been passed by Westminster.”
“Actions speak louder than words, and that’s why the Home Secretary’s police covenant is so important in ensuring the work of our police officers is rightly recognised and enshrined.”
Following her discussions with Samuel, Nicky Ryan from the Police Federation said: “Police officers have a unique role in society. They put their lives on the line to protect their communities every day and can pay the ultimate price for such dedication.”
“Our members are always at risk of being injured in the line of duty with assaults on emergency services personnel soaring up by 26 per cent during the coronavirus pandemic.”
She finished: “Frontline officers who are injured can then end up being off work for months on end while they wait for treatment or physiotherapy appointments. Priority access to NHS services would ensure they got back to work earlier and would also fit in with the basic ethos of the new police covenant.”
