Police officers should be paid a fair wage for the difficult and dangerous job they do

7 December 2021

Police officers should be paid a fair wage so that they want to remain in the role and so that they are recognised properly for the difficult and dangerous job they do.

That’s the message from City of London Police Federation Chairman Mike Reed, who was speaking after Home Secretary Priti Patel contacted the Police Remuneration Review Body this week with their “remit” for advising on a police officer pay rise in 2022/23.

Police officers were given no pay rise in 2021 when the Home Secretary tied the PRRB’s hands under the guise of public sector pay restraint. Either way, whatever the PRRB advises Government, it is up to the Home Secretary to decide what the police officer pay rise award should be.

In her letter to the PRRB, The Home Secretary states: “I ask that your recommendations and observations are considered in the context of the Government’s commitment to increase police officer numbers by 20,000 over three years” and “The Government must balance the need to ensure fair pay for public sector workers with protecting funding for frontline services and ensuring affordability for taxpayers’”.

Mike said: “I have read with interest the Home Secretary’s remit letter to the ‘independent’ Police Pay Review Body and it seems to me that our members are being asked to fund the national uplift programme of 20,000 extra cops out of their own pockets!

“Our members have for years funded the extra officers from the magical box of more, with cancellation of rest days and reduction in compensation for overtime, that was plugging the gap caused by this Government’s cuts to policing and now - despite promises to increase public sector pay - the likelihood is of at least a below inflation award, if at all any.

“The uplift in these circumstances is nothing more than a flash in the pan and unsustainable banner campaign.”

Mike added: “As seen recently in the press, new recruits are leaving the service early on, no doubt once exposed to the reality of what policing is compared to the wage they receive, finding it just unacceptable.

“If the Government really do care about policing they need to invest in what is the core of it, it’s officers that unselfishly go out every day to stand between the good and the very bad, so that experience levels are maintained and the cost of constant recruitment and training can be used properly to support policing and it’s officers.

“Pay officers a fair wage so that they want stay.

“Pay officers a fair wage so that are recognised for the role that they do.

“Pay officers a fair wage so that’s we don’t end up back in the bad days of the 1970’s.

“Police officers pay often with their well being, their health and on occasions their lives! Don’t let them pay for the Government’s spin on top of that!”

Both the Police Federation of England and Wales and Superintendents’ Association have backed out the PRRB process following last year’s pay freeze.