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COPS provides peer support opportunities for the families, who are known as survivors, as well as paying for access to counselling and specialist bereavement services
Peter Fahy is to become chair of trustees at the charity Care of Police Survivors (COPS) – a charity that supports the families of police officers and police staff that die on duty.
Fahy takes up the post in March when current chair Jan Berry steps down after five years in the role.
A former chief constable of Greater Manchester Police, Fahy has had long been a supporter of the charity. However, following the murders of two of his officers, WPCs Fiona Bone and Nicola Hughes, in 2012 he decided to become more involved and became a trustee in 2014.
COPS provides peer support opportunities for the families, who are known as survivors, as well as paying for access to counselling and specialist bereavement services.
He said: “I am honoured and delighted to take on the chair of Trustees at COPS. Those left behind when an officer dies on duty can feel isolated, alone and completely lost, the support that COPS provides can absolutely help rebuild those lives. I am stepping into a vital role in the support community for those affected by the death of an officer, or member of the police staff, while on duty.
There is only so much that establishment channels can do in the long-term help they provide – COPS is there for as long as needed and that makes a huge difference. At the heart of COPS are the survivors and the Survivor’s Council. The role of trustees is to support them in supporting one another and ensure proper governance of the funds given so generously by members of the police family and beyond. “
Fahy was also previously the assistant chief constable at Surrey and had had positions with Hertfordshire and West Midlands forces. He is also a trustee with a number of charities including the British Police Symphony Orchestra, The Salford Diocesan Trust and We stand together – a charity to promote peace between diverse groups launched in the wake of the 2017 London and Manchester terrorist attacks.
Berry added: “It has been a privilege to chair COPS, the survivors are an amazing group of people who share so much pain and yet gain so much strength from each other.
“It has been a challenging time in the chair’s role, but one that I have relished. The charity has gone through immense changes as it has grown, but the core ethos of helping survivors to support each other and provide the framework and opportunity for them to do so has remained the bedrock of our work.”
