Officers deserved “well-deserved” thank you bonus for keeping nation safe

POLICE officers are entitled to a “well-deserved” thank you bonus payment for their hard work keeping the nation safe during the Covid-19 crisis, Zoë Wakefield, Hampshire Police Federation Chair, has said.

The Police Federation of England and Wales has called for the payment in this year’s submission to the Police Remuneration Review Body, despite the fact that all public sector pay rises are to be frozen.

The one-off payment would be payable to all officers as a gesture of gratitude for their work during unsafe and unprecedented times, the Federation said.

Zoë said: “This payment is very well-deserved. I’m not optimistic about the chances of us getting it because the PRRB made a very early decision that we wouldn’t get any pay rises this year and I don’t think that they really understand the risks and the sacrifices that police officers make.

“A one-off payment like this would help officers feel a little more valued and appreciated. It would definitely make a difference.”

The Police Federation of England and Wales have requested that officers receive a 3% pay rise this year. National Secretary, Alex Duncan, said: “We know that calling for an increase in officer pay when the Chancellor has already announced that there should be a public sector pay freeze may seem fruitless.

“However, police officers have been at the forefront of this pandemic and continue to put themselves and their families at risk, working long hours every day to keep the public safe during these unprecedented times.”

PFEW has questioned whether the decision taken by the Government to not award a pay increase is one of economic necessity, especially when the Spending Review awarded forces sufficient money for officers to be recognised for the work they have done in protecting the public.

Alex added: “The Home Secretary states in the remit letter that the Government has only taken this decision in extraordinary circumstances, however, this is the fifth out of seven PRRB rounds that vital evidence has been completely disregarded. You cannot blame us for questioning whether this process is effective.

“Vital work goes into informing submissions made to the PRRB, and it is disheartening to see this being ignored time and time again.”