Officers are prepared for the proposed lifting of lockdown and an increasing demand for policing, but they must also make time to get adequate rest, Thames Valley Police Federation has said.
In a statement released earlier this month, Federation Chair Craig O’Leary said: "Policing is ready and waiting for the lockdown to be lifted, if indeed it is going to be, on 19 July.
"It will be business as usual, I would imagine, for policing – we’ll be starting to creep towards the demand that we saw prior to COVID. Life will carry on, and we’ll be there to look after the public and keep them safe.
"Policing demand is on the increase, we’re seeing that, and certainly here in Thames Valley we have a busy summer of demand for events that are going ahead, as well as the core policing function we provide on a daily basis.
"But that said, the force is doing its best to mitigate the need for officers to work their rest days, and certainly will always look for volunteers in the first instance.
"It’s really important, as we’ve said all through the pandemic, that officers should be booking their leave early where they can, and making sure that they’re getting that quality time with friends and family and hopefully enjoying the odd staycation where possible.
"But the most important thing is to get that time to rest and relax away from work."
The police force has reportedly promised that officers would only be forced to work on their rest days "in the most extreme circumstances" as they believe that time for adequate rest is essential.
