It Stops Now has been created because the way policing deals with its own people has to change.
Over recent years, we have heard too many stories of police officers, police staff and their families being placed under enormous pressure by processes that can be lengthy, isolating and at times, devastating.
Behind every misconduct investigation, grievance, welfare concern or statistic is a person. There is also often a family living through it with them.
It Stops Now brings together people with different experiences and expertise who share a common belief: policing can maintain high standards and hold people properly to account without losing sight of humanity, proportionality and welfare.
We want to help make that happen constructively.
The development of the It Stops Now website and the tools and resources we are building around it are being funded by Pocket Sergeant. This allows us to focus on building the campaign and engaging with those who can help bring about change without asking the policing community for financial support.
What you will find here
This website will become a central place for information, research, personal experiences and practical resources relating to police welfare and the impact of disciplinary and misconduct processes.
Over the coming weeks and months, we will continue adding new content and tools.
Academics and researchers involved with the coalition will be invited to explain their work and make relevant research accessible. We will publish news and developments relating to the issues we are campaigning on, and we will provide opportunities for people affected by these issues to tell their own stories.
Those stories are really important.
We want to hear from serving police officers, members of police staff, former officers and the families who have experienced these processes alongside their loved ones.
We also understand why some serving officers may not feel able to put their name to their experiences.
Where appropriate, there will therefore be opportunities to share stories anonymously.
Remembering those we have lost
One of the most important parts of the website will be our Wall of Remembrance.
We want to create a permanent place to remember police officers who have died by suicide.
A place where colleagues, friends and family members can visit, leave a tribute, light a virtual candle and take a moment to remember the person behind the uniform.
Too often, we see an enormous outpouring of love and support following the death of a police officer. Fundraisers are created, tributes are shared and communities come together. But, understandably, over time those pages and posts disappear from view.
We want to create somewhere permanent.
In the near future, we also intend to introduce the ability to turn the messages and tributes left on an officer's memorial page into a high-quality printed book of condolence that can be presented to their family.
Their memory should not disappear when we stop posting about them on social media.
Taking the campaign to Parliament
Ultimately, awareness alone will not deliver the changes we believe are necessary.
We need decision-makers to listen.
We have been assured by Jonathan Brash MP and Jonathan Hinder MP that they would both be willing to sponsor an It Stops Now event in Parliament, giving us an important opportunity to engage directly with MPs and those with the ability to influence change.
When the time comes, however, we are going to need your help.
We will explain much more about this in due course and importantly, we will not be asking you for money.
We may simply ask you to give us a little of your time.
A few minutes to contact your MP, share your experience or help us make sure the people who need to hear this message cannot ignore it.
This is only the beginning
It Stops Now is not intended to be an organisation that points out everything that is wrong with policing. We want to contribute to solutions.
We also want to bring together lived experience, academic research, professional expertise and constructive engagement with policing leaders, government and other organisations.
There will be much more added to this website in the weeks and months ahead but for now, we ask you to explore it.
Read the research and remember those we have lost. Share your experiences and when the time comes, help us make sure those with the power to change things are listening.
It Stops Now is just beginning.