Rupert Matthews, the Police and Crime Commissioner for Leicester, Leicestershire, and Rutland, has launched a blistering critique of the British honors system, claiming the prestigious King’s Police Medal (KPM) has drifted dangerously far from its heroic Edwardian roots. In a move that has resonated across the rank-and-file, Matthews suggests the award once a badge of raw courage for those on the beat has become a "glittering bauble" reserved for the policing elite.
Writing on the "peculiar institution" of the British honours system, Matthews points to a glaring statistical disparity in this year's recipient list. Of the dozens of medals handed out, only two went to Constables and one to a Sergeant. In contrast, nine were awarded to Chief Officers and fourteen to Superintendents. For a medal intended to recognise "conspicuous devotion to duty," Matthews argues the math simply doesn’t add up.
"Of the many tens of thousands of police constables working hard to keep us safe only two get the KPM, but of the few dozen chief officers, nine are so honoured," Matthews observed. "It is that which has raised eyebrows and questions."
The KPM was forged in the heat of the 1909 Tottenham Outrages, designed specifically to honor officers who tackled armed robbers at the risk of their lives. While Matthews acknowledges that modern leadership is a struggle, he argues that those at the top of the "police blob" have become disconnected from the "daily grind" of the front line. He suggests it is "only human nature" for Chief Officers who hold the power of nomination to empathise more with their peers in oak-paneled offices than with the officers facing violence on the streets.
However, the Commissioner’s critique goes deeper than mere professional bias. He touched upon "dark mutterings" within the force, suggesting the KPM might be used as a cynical tool to ensure senior officers "don’t rock the boat" or as an inducement to remain silent on controversial policy issues.
While Matthews was quick to praise genuine acts of leadership citing a former Leicester Chief Constable who famously stood on a park bench to singlehandedly pacify an angry mob he argues that such cases are increasingly the exception rather than the rule for high-ranking recipients.
His solution is a radical decoupling of administrative success from frontline bravery. Matthews is calling for the creation of a brand-new award specifically designed to recognise excellence in high-level leadership. By doing so, he believes the King’s Police Medal can be "returned to where it belongs" in the hands of the constables, sergeants, and inspectors who form the sharp end of British justice.
"Chief Constables already get six-figure salaries, golden pensions, and enormous respect," Matthews wrote. "If they want a glittering bauble... who could possibly object? But that should not come at the expense of those slogging away at the sharp end."
To read to read Rupert's full article: https://rupertmatthews1.substack.com/p/what-is-wrong-with-the-kings-police
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