Deluge Of Resigning Officers Risks Crisis In Policing

THE number of officers who say they are planning to resign is the next crisis in policing, Hampshire Police Federation has said.

Figures from the PFEW Pay and Morale survey showed that 12% of respondents from Hampshire intend to resign either within the next two years or as soon as they can.

Hampshire Police Federation Chair Zoe Wakefield said the figures were a red flag for the service.

She explained: “The big headline for us was the increase in the number of people wanting to leave or planning to leave, which we know about. The figures just reflect what we already knew.

“But I think that’s a big red flag for forces and I think that’s probably the next crisis in policing to come along, because I think we’re going to end up with a very, very inexperienced workforce.

“I’m going to be writing to all our MPs, not expecting huge amounts of response but I will do it anyway. I’ve shared the results, obviously, with our Chief Constable and also our Police and Crime Commissioner.

“The main thing for people is pay and that. No matter how much I bang on to our Chief Constable and PCC, they can make their feelings known higher up, but we need the Government to really take notice. They need to really start looking at us and investing.”