This year’s national Police Federation conference will give members the chance to explore a turbulent year in policing, says South Wales branch chair Steve Treharne.

Due to the pandemic, the Police Federation of England and Wales annual conference takes place online on 9 and 10 June.

This year’s theme is Policing Under Pressure and will see top names from policing lined up to take part in thought-provoking sessions across a broad agenda. 

Steve said: “We’ve experienced a turbulent year in policing, a year like no other. We’ve been on the frontline of the pandemic to keep the public safe and protect the NHS.

“We’ve seen the virus weaponised against us and mass protests, and all while we’re trying to protect and care for loved ones.

“Our conference will give us the chance to examine the last 12 months and explore what it means for policing. I would like to encourage as many members as possible to tune in to the conference for what promises to be a thought-provoking event.”

The conference will bring together practitioners, policy decision-makers and key policing stakeholders as well as guests from the National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC), College of Policing (CoP), Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services (HMICFRS) to debate and examine the top issues in policing today.

Delegates will have the opportunity to ask questions, participate in polls, attend keynote speeches, and listen in to panel discussions in the online auditoriums and break-out rooms.

For the first time, the conference will also include a virtual exhibition; an online space where key policing partners will each have a virtual, interactive stand. Attendees can navigate the exhibitors using the floorplan and either drop by to speak to someone or arrange an online one-to-one meeting.

John Apter, national Federation chair, said: “The pandemic has affected everybody but certainly within policing it’s impact has been significant.

“The pressure on our colleagues has at times been intolerable and that’s why I think it’s really apt that the theme of the conference is Policing Under Pressure.”

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