Steve White

Steve joined Avon and Somerset Police in September 1988. His early police service consisted of numerous uniform roles within South Gloucestershire and the City of Bristol both at PC and acting sergeant rank. These included response policing, community policing, attachments to CID and district control room.
He then specialised within the operations department and his roles included traffic patrol, authorised firearms officer, motorway police control supervisor, armed response officer crew and deputy convoy commander for the Tactical Escort Group. The TEG provided category A escorts to Britain’s most dangerous criminals and vulnerable VIPs throughout the region and country.
Promoted to sergeant in 2001, he was posted to Broadbury Road, south Bristol as a team sergeant. This was an extremely challenging area to work, with one of the largest and most deprived council estates in the country. In early 2001 officers posted to this station were dealing with more crime per officer than any other area of the UK. It was at this time Steve’s Federation career began with election to the Sergeants’ Branch Board. Steve became the secretary of the Sergeants’ Branch Board (SBB) and also chaired the personnel sub-committee of the Joint Branch Board (JBB).
After several years Steve became the neighbourhood policing sector deputy for Knowle in south Bristol, continuing the theme of working in deprived areas; this area had recently experienced riots and severe local anti-police feeling. His achievements include the opening of a then unique new police station and the funding, design and supply of a mobile police station. Both these projects received praise from the force and the local communities - attracting visits from numerous high profile politicians. Several years later he was selected to become the staff officer to the Ch Supt of the newly formed single Bristol BCU, the second largest in the country.
Subsequently, Steve’s Federation role expanded, with him being elected to chair of the SBB and vice-chair of the JBB. Alongside these roles Steve remained on 24/7 duty, performing frequent Acting Inspector duty for response policing across Bristol and in particular the St Pauls area of Bristol, the centre of the illegal drug and armed gang culture in the South West.
Following promotion to inspector he was posted to a response team in north Bristol. After only 3 months’ absence from the JBB he was elected as an inspectors’ rep within Bristol, becoming chair of the IBB and, resuming his role as vice-chair of the JBB and became secretary of the regional Inspectors’ Branch Board (IBB). He was heavily involved in work regarding the well-being at work survey conducted by the Inspectors’ Central Committee, with the IBB engagement with the Force sighted as best practice across the country. This work continued and resulted in a wholesale review of the inspecting ranks within Avon and Somerset, ensuring an excellent work/life balance agreement in relation to working time and Inspecting ranks in the force.
During his four and a half years managing a busy response policing team in north Bristol, Steve was awarded three commendations for his leadership and bravery. Throughout his Federation career Steve has become qualified in numerous fields, in particular misconduct and discipline and has represented staff at all ranks. He is a trained in negotiation and media and has attended all standard Police Federation courses.
At the Police Federation Annual Conference in May 2011 Steve was elected to the Inspectors’ Central Committee on the retirement of Paul Ginger. He was elected to the position of vice-chair of the Police Federation in November 2012.
He is married to Gill, a senior NHS manager in the North Bristol NHS trust and has two teenage daughters. In his spare time he is a private pilot and treasurer of a local flying group who jointly owns and flies an aircraft based at Gloucester airport. He also enjoys riding his motorbike, both in the UK and Europe given half the chance.