Years of pay freezes and cuts have left policing ‘no longer worth it’, warns Cleveland Police Federation Chair

21 October 2025

Police officers have been worn down by years of pay freezes and recruitment cuts to the point where the Job “no longer feels worth it”, Lauren Somerville, Chair of Cleveland Police Federation has warned.

Lauren was speaking after new research found experienced officers are leaving the service in record numbers, taking with them vital wisdom, leadership and operational experience.

The report found that the service was relying on junior officers to take on the bulk of the work, but Lauren disputed the fact that officers with under ten years are “inexperienced”.

She explained: “It is unfair to label officers with fewer than ten years’ service as inexperienced or immature. In their first week alone, many will have faced incidents that most people would never experience in a lifetime.

“I know officers whose first job was attending a murder scene, and others who have spent their earliest shifts trying to prevent someone from taking their own life - and this is just the start.”

The government is blind to the danger, exhaustion, and personal sacrifice that policing demands every single day, Lauren warned, and called for action to make improvements for officers.

She added: “Our most experienced officers have been worn down to the point that the job they once loved no longer feels worth it. Newer officers are navigating intense scrutiny and expectation often without the tangible support, stability or fair pay they deserve.

“I’ll keep saying it until something changes: officers need better pay, mandated and holistic wellbeing provisions, and improved working conditions. Until that happens, policing will continue to lose good people and that loss will be felt in every community we serve.”