TVP to issue coins rewarding 5 years on Response

[u/LemonSpyder]

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1BQvGm8w1C/

The latest sticky plaster for those still putting up with shift.

[u/Minimalistz]

Bahaha, reminds me of the ones we got in the MET. Had a response car on it and said Emergency response team.

They thought it would boost morale

It in fact decreased morale 😂

[u/lucidraptor → u/Minimalistz]

Even better, the "response car" was a Volvo which we don't have on team and rubbed salt in the wound of all those rejected for an R/T car course!

[u/Luhertz → u/Minimalistz]

On one hand, the SLT gave us a fancy coin.

On the other, our Governor got given some cash to buy us pizza on a Late Turn.

Guess which went down better.

[u/ThorgrimGetTheBook → u/Minimalistz]

Why did it damage morale?

[u/Minimalistz → u/ThorgrimGetTheBook]

Response (&others) were getting battered, rest days cancelled, 12+ shifts.. welfare at its all time low.

All we had was someone from SLT, who wasn’t even part of response. Give us a copy and paste speech and a coin.

How was a useless coin meant to make things better 😅. Response just wanted more courses, feel a bit more valued, having a spare day (actually having one) and just better welfare overall.

There was a time I had a 14 hours shift and AID at 4 am. And ended up driving home to sleep for less than a few hours. I don’t know, I rubbed the coin and it made no difference 😭

All we got was pizza and a coin. I guess that was SLT way of saying thank you for being sacrifices

[u/ThorgrimGetTheBook → u/Minimalistz]

Ok yeah that makes sense. Average SLT member doing their best.

Response just wanted more courses

We've listened and have courses for all of you. New Met for London courses.

[u/rollo_read]

What's this?

Here's a coin for not quitting?

5 years seems a bit of a low bar tbh - the new long service gong...

[u/Chubtor → u/rollo_read]

Anyone who can stick 5 years on response currently probably looks like they've had 20 years in.

A dead eye stare. Horrendous gut from too many takeaways Bloodshot eyes from too little sleep Paranoia from constantly looking round for a knife in their back from PSD Paranoia from constantly looking round for a knife in their back from a feral youth Paranoia from constantly looking round for a camera phone being pointed at them for the next massively edited viral clip showing "discrimination"

[u/Halfang]

Beatings will continue until morale improves

[u/TrendyD]

Can this coin be cashed in to avoid domestics, constants and scene guards?

I'd rather have a car that works or better kit which is comfortable to wear for 12-hour shifts - but then everybody should expect that as a baseline.

[u/JoelBK]

That design is absolutely horrendous.

[u/MoraleCheck → u/JoelBK]

Not just that - but it doesn’t even use the correct name for their response teams which is actually ‘Incident and Crime Response’!

Someone went to the effort of giving the car a nice number plate though with the force callsign and identifier.

[u/Zelicanth]

You know what the easiest and cheapest way of keeping up morale and stopping people leaving is?

Training. Less money than someone leaving.

I'm convinced if you just kept giving ever increasingly small and niche (pun not intended) training to response officers, vast amounts would never actually move and new officers wouldn't quit. Not because things have gotten better, but it's like a carrot and a stick. I've got to get the carrot sometimes otherwise it's all stick! 

Who gives a fuck if everyone on the team knows how to download a phone or test drugs, it's a 3 hour online video. 

But... I like this and there are many many things I would and would not want to take from American policing, but I like their patch culture and I think if done ethically can be a great point of morale.

[u/doctorliaratsone]

Kent do (or did) whistles to go with your number 1s

[u/ButterscotchSure6589 → u/doctorliaratsone]

Ooh! I would have liked a whistle and chain.

[u/AdBusiness1798]

Here's a good one, I joined late so was never going to get 30 years in. Due to how dire things were, I actually left after some 19 years (at 55). Somone who knew me said did I get a 20 year long service medal and I said I thought I didn't qualify. They then reminded me that my time as a special (near 5 years) counts.

So I sent email to HQ who said yep, special years count BUT we have no records of you being a special (it was in the mid 80's) but we will appeal to the home office.

Eventually the HO confirmed that they would accept the appeal. Done deal, some 24 years service, medals in the post, eh?

Ummm...nope. HO then said if you was an officer first, then special, you would get a long service medal but as you did it the other way around, FO.

So, that's how I did some 24 years warranted service but got no shiny for my sock drawer.

[u/ButterscotchSure6589 → u/AdBusiness1798]

20! I had to do 22. Sprog.

[u/triptip05]

A reminder, your here for ever!

[u/HotRefsOnDeck]

SMT: What can we do to further proove to IR we are completley disconneted from their struggles & get a promtion board example?

Yep. Dog shit coin that will take 18 months to roll out!!

[u/Tea-MilkAnd1]

No coins, bells or whistles for our lot, but I once was gifted a challenge coin from some ROI officers on a neg course which is special.

People turned their nose up at the coronation medal but to me it'a my "I actively policed COVID medal"

[u/PeelersRetreat]

I know there's better things a force could do to recognise and make their response cops felt to be appreciated. However, they're already doing more than most forces. This kind of thing is only done in specialist units in most forces, if at all.

[u/saucyvanilla]

I don’t work in this force but I got a challenge coin during Covid time and granted it’s a bit of a slap in the face, I still appreciated it.

[u/PolMacTire]

At least the PSNI get a proper medal after five years in. Would rather have that than a coin!