I am writing this statement in relation to an article by the Disability News Service published on the 30^th October 2025.

Prior to his retirement, Dave Campbell was Vice President of the Disabled Police Association. Dave shared the findings from the Business Disability Forum review with me. This showed employment tribunals in the Metropolitan Police Service have increased by 60% since the Baroness Casey Review, along with other key statistics.

I am grateful for our professional working relationship, as the content of the article was not a shock to me. I used these statistics when addressing our Disability In Policing Conference in September this year to raise awareness.

Despite this article and the Casey Review being based on the Met Police, I am clear that the issues highlighted here are replicated across England and Wales. Employment tribunals for disability are the highest out of all protected characteristics nationally.

Due to funding cuts in police budgets, the DPA are seeing the situation deteriorate further. Numerous equality, diversity and inclusion posts are being removed in Forces and within the College of Policing, resulting in police staff redundancies. I have lost two of my DPA committee members to redundancies from these teams.

My message is clear: this is a perverse outcome. The cost of an average employment tribunal is over £100,000, so if these teams prevent only a handful of employment tribunals, they pay for themselves. The Police Federation estimate that £8.5 million of public money has been spent on employment tribunals and grievances in a three-year period.

Based on the above information, I created the DPA Pledge earlier this year, requesting all Chief Constables and Police and Crime Commissioners sign up to show their commitment to their staff. The DPA will hold police forces to account, but also support them by producing guidance, raising awareness and identifying barriers to achieve the points of our Pledge.

The Met is the largest police force in the UK, and other Forces often replicate their policies. This is why I regularly meet with Commander Simon Messinger, Senior Disability Lead with the Met Police, to have the difficult discussions around disability matters. I would welcome all Forces to approach the DPA for consultation in any future impactive policy decisions prior to their implementation, in the hope that positive outcomes can be achieved, and areas of contention are highlighted at the drafting stage.

The DPA are committed to working with all police forces to improve the lives of officers, staff and volunteers at work, so that they can fulfil their potential and provide the service the public expect.

Andrea Shoetan
President | Disabled Police Association

The Disabled Police Association completely accepts the findings of Baroness Casey’s review of the Metropolitan Police.

The report clearly states that some of the specific conclusions reached by the review team about racism, misogyny and homophobia within the Met also extend to other protected characteristics, including disability.

For over a decade, the DPA has worked with senior decision makers to help to change culture by shining a light in every corner of policing and calling out discrimination where it sees it.

The DPA insists that all police forces see this watershed moment in policing as an opportunity to learn by asking the difficult questions, and most importantly, to not take silence or acquiescence as a signal there is no work for us to do.

The DPA commits to continuing to work with stakeholders and partners, and supports all Forces and their staff networks to meaningfully engage with their disabled communities, helping to rebuild trust and confidence. ∎

The Disabled Police Association (DPA) held its inaugural annual conference on 5th June 2019, an international first in policing.

Formed in July 2012, the Association welcomed members of the police family from across the country who live with or care for loved ones with disabilities.

The event, with the theme ‘Enable rather than Disable’, was held at The Fielder Centre in Hatfield and sponsored by Police Mutual and Police Care UK.

It was also supported by the National Police Chiefs Council (NPCC), Hertfordshire Constabulary Chief Constable Charlie Hall, and Hertfordshire Police and Crime Commissioner David Lloyd.

DPA president Dr Robert Gurney said: “The aim of the event was to bring together those who work within policing and live with disabilities to provide support and advice, share good practice in relation to supporting officers and staff with disabilities, and explore some of the barriers that they face at work”.

The DPA is a national body that represents disability support networks within police forces across the UK. Its main aim is to promote equality of opportunity for people with disabilities or carers who work or volunteer within the wider policing family.

The event’s guest speakers were Permanent Secretary at the Home Office Sir Philip Rutnam, who spoke about his role as the Civil Service Disability Champion, and CEO of Police Care UK Gill Scott-Moore, who spoke to guests about the work of the charity in supporting ill and injured people.

There were also contributions from the NPCC Lead for Disability, Deputy Chief Constable Janette McCormick QPM; Hertfordshire Constabulary Assistant Chief Constable Nathan Briant; DPA Vice-President Simon Nelson from Sussex Police; and Vice-President of the Police Superintendents’ Association Ian Wylie.

Dr Gurney said: “The conference provided some really positive learning outcomes and showed the valuable contribution that those with disabilities make to policing across the nation. We are delighted that so many people with disabilities were able to attend and could highlight their concerns and the challenges that they face. The conference has provided an incredibly valuable insight into disability in today’s police service”. ∎

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Police Care UK is a charity that provides practical, emotional and financial support, and confidential and impartial advice for serving and former police officers, staff and volunteers who suffer harm as a result of their policing role

Police Mutual offers financial services to serving or retired police officers, staff and their families

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