Circular 20/18
Dear Members
As you may have seen this morning, Police Oracle has published an article regarding MDP fitness testing.
This follows articles earlier in the week in the Mail on Sunday, and subsequently in The Times.
The Federation is extremely disappointed with the article published by Police Oracle and is, as a matter of urgency, contacting both the journalist and their editor to complain most strongly about its inaccurate content. This and other articles earlier in the week have been taken forward by the journalists independently – i.e. they are not the product of the Federation’s proactive media communications. Where we have been contacted for comment, the Federation has provided information and content to reflect the engagement of officers with the fitness assessment process; and while we have highlighted some of the challenges with fitness testing in the context of officers’ roles and terms and conditions of service; we have explained that officers are meeting requirements and continuing to perform duties as required.
We are thoroughly disappointed that Police Oracle has positioned the article as though it comes from the Federation, which is in no way the case.
A number of members have raised queries about the articles earlier in the week. As with Police Oracle, we have provided comment when asked, but have contacted all journalists who have written about the MDP in recent days to outline engagement with fitness testing and that figures quoted from the MDP Committee are now aged. As you will appreciate, while we have pushed back as much as possible, we have also made sure to keep communications constructive with journalists to support future engagement, and also to ensure this issue does not linger in the media agenda.
Eamon Keating
National Chairman
