NARPO Pensions

REVOLUTION FILMS

Revolution Films are making three ninety-minute films for Channel 4 set in the late 1970s and early 80s, against the backdrop of the Yorkshire Ripper case. One of our lead actresses is keen to talk to a female police officer/detective who was working in the north of England at the time. This needn't be a big time commitment: just some insight into your experiences. The production office is based in Leeds, and filming begins in September. If you'd be willing to help us out, please e-mail wendybrazington@mac.com or phone us on 0113 2458089 and ask for Wendy. We look forward to hearing from you.

TIME THE FAMILY GOT TOGETHER

Do you want to know your family better? Trouble getting them all in one place at one time? The BBC are looking for relatives who’d like to reunite somewhere special for an all-expenses-paid weekend.

Call Andy on 020 7267 4260 or atippins@blastfilms.co.uk

NEW COMMUTATION FACTORS

At the Police Federation Conference in May 2008, the Home Secretary announced new commutation factors for the police pension scheme. As many of you will know, commutation has been a feature of the police pension scheme for many years. It is the ability to sell off a part of accrued pension benefit in exchange for a lump sum. Commutation factors are intended to reflect the value of that sell off and change from time to time as, in particular, life expectancy increases. Prior to these latest changes different factors were used for men and women reflecting differing life expectancy.
These latest figures do not have that distinction between the sexes. The increase in commuted lump sums is significant and very significant for male retirees. Unusually the commencement date for the introduction of these new factors has been backdated to 1st October 2007.
Many of you are angry that the difference in payment to officers retiring within a single day of each other can be in excess of 20% and feel cheated by the way that these new factors have been introduced.
NARPO are seeking legal advice on whether any of the decisions made by Government in respect of the new commutation factors are challengeable to the benefit of members. There is however a petition to the Prime Minister currently open on this topic. If you wish to register your anger at the recent changes click on the link below to go directly to the petition site.

http://petitions.pm.gov.uk/Commutation/

MEMORIES OF FORD POLICE DRIVERS WANTED

Testimony Films (makers of the award winning “The 50’s and 60’s in Colour”) in association with the BBC are making a documentary celebrating the cult classic Ford cars that changed the face of British motoring. Their use by the Police played a major role in Ford’s success and we want your experiences!

From the Anglia to the Zephyr, Police constabularies throughout the nation have employed classic Ford cars in their pursuit of criminals and their battle for justice. Ford was a major player in the revolution of British policing, helping officers decrease response times and heighten efficiency. We would love to hear how Ford cars changed your career; perhaps you drove an area car, protected the roads in the traffic division or have an exciting story of a pursuit or dealing with criminals.

If you or someone you know worked with Ford cars and have interesting stories to tell or photos of the vehicles then please contact:

Pete Vance on 0117 9258589, write to Police Ford Appeal, 12 Great George Street, Bristol, BS1 5RH or e-mail pete.vance@testimonyfilms.com

REVOLUTION FILMS

Revolution Films are making three ninety-minute films for Channel Four based on the Yorkshire Ripper case, and our lead actor is keen to talk to any members of the police force who were involved in the original investigation, in order to hear about their experiences. This wouldn’t be a big time commitment: just a telephone conversation. The production office is based in Leeds, and filming begins in three weeks’ time. If you’d be willing to help us out, please e-mail joon@revolution-films.com or phone us on 020 7566 0700 asking for Joon. Thank you for your time.

KEITH WRIGHT

Urgent request to track down Keith Wright, who served as a PC for the Met in 1969.

I am a journalist looking into the death of an American called Joel Pugh, whose body was found in a hotel in Hammersmith, London, in early December, 1969.

Pugh, a 29-year-old from Minnesota, died from a cut throat. At his inquest, coroner John Burton said he had taken his own life while the balance of his mind was disturbed.

A report in the local Gazette and Post newspaper says Mr Pugh's body was discovered by a PC Keith Wright who discovered razor blades, a passport and a pipe filled with cannabis resin nearby. There were also pieces of paper with backwards, 'mirror writing' in the room.

If you know PC Wright, or were connected with the case in any way., I'd be extremely grateful if you could contact me at david.edwards@mirror.co.uk or on 07967 660545. At this stage I'm just trying to build up a picture of Mr Pugh's life and would be happy to keep people's names out of any article that results, if they so wish.

DEATH OF JOEL PUGH

Urgent request to track down Keith Wright, who served as a PC for the Met in 1969.

I am a journalist looking into the death of an American called Joel Pugh, whose body was found in a hotel in Hammersmith, London, in early December, 1969.

Pugh, a 29-year-old from Minnesota, died from a cut throat. At his inquest, coroner John Burton said he had taken his own life while the balance of his mind was disturbed.

Martha Giles was murdered on 11 February 1959 in the grounds of New Cross Hospital, Wolverhampton – No one has ever been convicted of her death - Can you help with my research?

I am researching into the brutal murder of Martha Giles, a nurse at New Cross Hospital Wolverhampton who was killed on 11 February 1959. Her body was found on the bowling green within the hospital grounds and a doctor was charged with her murder but acquitted at Staffordshire Assizes on 16 July 1959. No other person was sought in connection with this case.

I would be very interested to hear from anyone who recalls this case, or who has any knowledge or information about it, no matter how small. The investigation was led locally by Detective Inspector Jack Aston and Detective Sergeant Walter Leonard White of Central Police Station, Wolverhampton and was investigated by New Scotland Yard - Detective Superintendent Ernest Millen ( who went on to become Deputy Assistant Commissioner at Scotland Yard) and Detective Sergeant Frederick Taylor. Others involved in the case were Police Sergeant Derek Robert Falle, Police Constable Frederick George Jordan and Thomas Marsh, Superintendent and Deputy Chief Constable of Wolverhampton.

If you have any information or can help me in any way I would be very pleased to hear from you. Please contact me on pauline@rowmark.co.uk or telephone me on 023 9246 1931, mobile 07973 338543 or write to me Pauline Rowson, 65 Rogers Mead, Hayling Island, Hampshire PO11 0P

Urgent request for people from Yorkshire police forces willing to take part in a research project regarding BBC footage from the 1984/5 Miner’s Strike!

The Institute of Communications Studies (University of Leeds) is carrying out a research project to look at the issues that arise from the possibility of the BBC releasing some of their archive content to the public on the internet.

We are carrying out a regional project in Yorkshire and are focusing on BBC footage from the 1984/5 Miners Strike which could form part of any future material made available on line.

We would like to talk to police officers who had any direct experience of the 1984/5 Miner’s Strike, to find out their views about the images kept by the BBC and the memories they evoke, and use this to help assess what audiences would like to see in any future archive.

We have been holding focus groups in Yorkshire and further afield with police officers and local communities over the past few months. We have a few groups remaining and would be pleased to hear from people who can help by taking part in one of these groups.

The focus group will be held at the University of Leeds in late July or early August (date to be confirmed once we have sufficient interest). This will be for officers from South, West or North Yorkshire police forces. If you can help by taking part in a focus group, we would very much like to hear from you.

Participants will receive £15 towards expenses and refreshments will be provided. The group should last around 3 hours and will involve watching BBC news footage from the strike and a group discussion. We will ensure people’s identities are kept confidential when writing up the research.

The results of the research will help inform our advice to the BBC about how it develops its online archive.

If you can help us by taking part in either of these groups, or would like more information, please contact:

Fiona Blair, Research Assistant, Institute of Communications Studies, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT
Telephone: (0113) 343 1390 or email f.blair@leeds.ac.uk

To see some short films about the BBC’s project and the BBC Archive, visit: http://www.bbc.co.uk/archive/

Many thanks to all the NARPO members who have been in touch with us already regarding the research.

Police Pay Dispute

Many of you may be angry at the failure of the Home Secretary to ratify fully the decision of the Police Arbitration Tribunal in the matter of a pay award for our colleagues currently serving. I am sure we all understand the anger serving officers must feel after being let down in this way. NARPO has shown its support for the service but many of you may wish to express your own views to your local M.P.

The key points that we have made in Press Statements on this subject are that the pay award was arrived at through a pay negotiation body which arose out of police unrest over poor pay in the late 1970’s which many of us will remember.

This mechanism has stood the test of time and has avoided police unrest but delivered affordable pay awards that reflect the pay rises other workers have received during the previous year.

The award is binding on the parties to arbitration but is below both the original claim and inflation.

The Home Secretary has further reduced the award by implementing it from 1st December not the usual annual date of any increase in pay and the date agreed by the arbitration panel of 1st September.

If you choose to write to your M.P. on this matter you should express these views in your own words. It may help you to deliver any message electronically by visiting www.writetothem.com. This site gives general advice on writing to M.P.s. It allows easy access to all M.P. who are identified by use of your post code, any message being delivered by email directly from the site.

Review of Policing By Sir Ronnie Flanagan

Response by the National Association of Retired Police Officers to Issues of Bureaucracy, Community Policing, Local Accountability and Resource Management. Click here to download the full document in PDF format