Ministers repeatedly tell us in public that we are supported and they have our backs. It is ironic that our police service is respected across the world and yet our own Government seems to place so little value on it. We also need a truly independent pay mechanism and longer-term funding settlements that will allow police leaders to effectively plan policing services. Pay that reflects the unique role we play in society, the risks we face and, let us not forget, police officers all too often pay the ultimate price when serving their communities. We have heard all of the warm words but these have not been backed by firm action.Īll we want is fair pay. Police officers have not had the full support of the Government for far too long. Inflation is hitting a 40-year high but with pay freezes and below inflation wage rises, our members have faced a 20 per cent real terms cut to their salaries. But, in all honesty, police officers have been grappling with the cost of living for many years now. During the pandemic, they were on the frontline of the nation’s response – upholding the seemingly ever-changing Government guidelines and regulations while putting their own health and wellbeing on the line.Īs the country emerges from the pandemic, everyone is coming to terms with the cost of living crisis. They are always on the frontline, responding to people in crisis, running towards danger when others run away. Police officers are working tirelessly 24/7, 365 days a year. “We’re in a crisis” is a phrase we currently see across all media platforms.īoth phrases resonate within policing right now. “Hold the line” is a phrase and tactic used by police officers when they are faced with large-scale public disorder. With his unique insight as an undercover detective and intense desire to do the right thing no matter the cost, Fanone provides a nuanced look into everything from policing to race to politics in a way that is accessible across all party lines.ĭetermined to make sure no one forgets what happened at the Capitol on January 6th, Fanone has written a timely call to action for anyone who wants to preserve our democracy for future generations.Tiff Lynch, Deputy National Chair of the Police Federation of England and Wales, considers the current crisis in policing. A self-described redneck who voted for Trump in 2016, Fanone’s closest friend was an informant-a Black, transgender, HIV-positive woman who has helped him mature and rethink his methods as a police officer. Now, Fanone is ready to tell the full story of that fateful day, along with exploring our country’s most critical issues as someone who has had firsthand experience with many of them. When he got to the front of the line, he urged his fellow officers to hold it against the growing crowd of insurrectionists-until he found himself pulled into the mob, tased until he had a heart attack, and viciously beaten with a Blue Lives Matter flag as shouts to kill him rang out. When Michael Fanone self-deployed to the Capitol on January 6, 2021, he had no idea his life was about to change. An urgent warning about the growing threat to our democracy from a twenty-year police veteran and former Trump supporter who nearly lost his life during the insurrection of January 6th.
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