Senior insiders speak out against practices at the Police Federation

14 April 2014

Senior insiders speak out against a "self-serving" and "toxic" culture of bullying and extravagant spending at the Police Federation, reveals Channel 4 Dispatches tonight at 8pm.

One senior official warned that “empires are being created within the national federation" while another former colleague said: "There was never a sense that they had to be frugal or even being modest. The way in which they would wine and dine me and other people, they would lobby MPs, you know and money was no object.”

Dispatches has also obtained a damning new resignation letter from a former member of the Police Federation staff. The letter complains of behaviour that was “humiliating, defensive, unaccommodating, self-serving, sarcastic and incredibly short-sighted" at the Federation's Leatherhead HQ.

The staff member, who has worked in a policing environment for most of their life, wrote: "I thought I'd seen pretty much everything from a murder and terrorism to complex high-profile enquiries such as 'phone-hacking' and 'cash-for-honours' to internal wrangles and resignations. Clearly not!"

Channel 4 Dispatches also hears from several senior police officers including:

- The former Superintendent Leroy Logan, a police officer, who had many dealings with the Police Federation in his role as Chairman of the National Black Police Association. For the first time he has decided to speak out about the culture of excess he witnessed.

"Money is no object for the Police Federation”, he said. “Lavish meals, AGM no expense spared, on things being paid on expense accounts. .. We would go on international trips and we would see them and they are in the business lounge, flying business class, maybe first class…. There was never a sense that they had to be frugal or even being modest. The way in which they would wine and dine me and other people, they would lobby MPs, you know and money was no object”.

-  Ian Hanson, Chair of Greater Manchester Police Federation, also speaks out: “Empires are being created within the national federation within the centre. And over years over decades this has been allowed to flourish and no one has ever really challenged it.
"This is not about people’s individual empires protecting their own very pleasant worlds. This is about police officers out on the street who every weekend are out there, up to their armpits in blood sweat and tears protecting the public. It’s them that we matter about and worry about it’s them that we represent and we have to do our best by them not some individuals at the centre."

- James Griffin, former Police Federation representative told the programme: "I don’t want to portray it as a complete drinking culture but there’ obviously going to be individuals who might not conform to rules and regulations about what should happen and that’s a concern for me. When you start giving these expenses out it’s always open to abuse."

- Jon Apter, Chairman of Hampshire Police Federation also condemned what he called the "toxic environment created at Leatherhead.”

On the resignation of Steve Williams, National Chair of the Police Federation, Apter said: “What a sad indictment on an organisation that is supposed to be there to protect people from bullying and such action, I think it’s a sad indictment of those responsible. I don’t know the circumstances but those responsible should take a very long hard look in the mirror and consider their positions."

- When questioned about allegations of bullying, Steve White, Deputy Chair of the Police Federation, told the programme:

"If people feel as though they've been bullied then that's something that we need to address and I would support anybody who came to me and expressed those concerns and deal with them.  

And when asked to respond to the news that the Treasurer of the National Federation was unaware of the total funds held by regional Federation offices, White said:

"It clearly presents a huge challenge and that's why we've got to change."

Policemen Behaving Badly: Channel 4 Dispatches - Monday 14 April at 8pm
Press contact: Peter Heneghan