23% rise in Avon and Somerset officers with second jobs
16 July 2025
Avon and Somerset Police has seen a 23% rise in officers taking on second jobs simply to make ends meet, new figures have shown.
A total of 207 officers sought approval to take on extra work in 2024, compared with 169 in 2019, according to data obtained by the Police Federation of England and Wales under the Freedom of Information Act.
Tom Gent, Chair of Avon and Somerset Police Federation, warned that officers are being driven to take on extra work by a combination of soaring living costs and years of successive real-terms pay cuts.
He said: “This is a clear sign of their financial struggle. This is not just about money; it is a symptom of officers feeling undervalued and disrespected. The rise in second jobs, coupled with a significant increase in officers leaving before retirement, carries a substantial cost for taxpayers who fund their replacements.”
Tom added that the majority of officers feel worse off than they did five years ago, a fact reflected in the latest Pay and Morale survey, in which 70% of respondents said they would not recommend a career in policing.
He added: “It is truly disheartening that so many colleagues would warn others against joining what should be a celebrated and proud profession. We urgently need fair pay and broader support so that officers no longer feel compelled to find additional work.”
Nationwide, more than 4,000 officers secured approval for secondary employment in 2024 – double the number recorded in 2019. Forces in some of the country’s most expensive areas have seen the steepest rises. At Merseyside Police, 372 officers reported a second job; and South Wales saw approvals climb from 37 officers in 2019 to 223 last year – a 503% increase.
In Dyfed-Powys, approvals rose from nine officers in 2019 to 287 in 2024, an increase of more than 3,000%. Essex saw a fivefold rise, Cleveland recorded 421% growth and Hampshire 348%.
Since 2010, police pay has fallen by 21% in real terms. New recruits start on £29,000 a year, and after six years’ service are earning up to £10,000 less than teachers or nurses with equivalent experience. With inflation and rising interest rates pushing living costs ever higher, many officers feel they have no choice but to seek additional income.
An officer serving in Wales, speaking on condition of anonymity, described the personal toll of the crisis. He said that without his second job he and his wife would have faced eviction. He added that the extra work had affected his sleep diet and fitness, but was essential to survive.
The Police Federation of England and Wales is calling on the government to outline urgent plans to restore the 21% pay lost in real-terms pay since 2010, and has called on the the public to demonstrate support for police by joining the digital picket line: https://www.polfed.org/campaigns/copped-enough/
Brian Booth, PFEW Acting Deputy National Chair, called the figures a “damning indictment” of successive governments’ failure to address officer pay.
He said: “Police officers are overworked, underpaid and under threat. They should not have to finish a shift protecting the public and then work a second job just to pay their bills. The impact on their family life or rest and recovery time is scary to think about.”
