Experienced officers leaving the force due to years of poor pay

EXPERIENCED and talented police officers are leaving Hampshire Police because of years of below-inflation pay rises, the force’s Federation has warned. 

In July, a detective chief inspector hung up their cuffs and this month a superintendent is leaving – both officers have been recruited in better-paid jobs outside policing. 

Zoë Wakefield, Federation Chair, said: “We’ve got lots of people that are now looking for jobs outside of policing. We’ve got an officer who had nearly 20 years’ service and has got a job working four days a week, earning more than she had at five days a week for the police.

“Every year now you think, ‘I’m just going to get a pay cut every year’. That’s how police officers look at it. And the only reason people are staying is because they actually love policing. But people are starting to see that their families are suffering, so they are looking for better-paid jobs.” 

Zoë welcomed the pay rise that was awarded in July, but warned as it’s below inflation it wont make the needed difference.

 

She added: “Obviously a pay award is very welcome because we’ve had very, very little or nothing for so many years. But it’s just not enough. It’s just not enough to counteract the increases in the cost of living. It’s not enough to counteract the years and years and years of cuts to our pay.” 

 

Zoë said she would continue to work with the Police Federation of England and Wales to represent police officers’ views. 

 

She added: “We all need to support the national chair in his work to try and work with the government to get them to realise what officers are putting themselves through every single day and how we just deserve a better pay rise. And maybe look at the data around the number of officers that are now leaving. I think some forces are struggling to recruit, but a lot of forces are struggling to retain now too.”