The Police Federation held an emergency National Council meeting in response to the Police Remuneration Review Body recommendation to not award any pay uplift for Police officers – a decision that was only too readily endorsed by Home Secretary Priti Patel. In fact, she had directed them to make this decision.

A decision to award police officers no pay rise was undertaken in spite of a pay uplift for both our emergency services colleagues in the NHS and The Fire Brigade.

It was the overwhelming feeling of colleagues from across the country that police officers are not being listened to, valued or supported. We have received many hollow words of support and congratulations form this Home Secretary however this has never materialised into tangible action or support.

Only recently at our Annual Conference, the Home Secretary stated she “had our back”! In the Police service this is a fundamental commitment as we rely on each other to have our back to keep us safe and to effectively complete what can be a dangerous and complicated service. The Home Secretary has clearly evidenced she does not have our back a fact of which we are now all to aware of. On that basis it is reasonable and correct to say we have lost confidence in the Home Secretary. That brings me no pleasure to say however it is currently a fact.

In relation to how this pay freeze affects Dorset officers it will have further implications on the financial pressure being suffered by many officers as we endure yet another effectively pay cut. It also has a massive impact on morale. We are 18 months into a pandemic where officers have had to tackle crime and the community head on despite the impacts of this virus. Moreover this virus has been used as a weapon against us.

Currently due to lockdown easing and the impact of Covid-19 isolation, officers are working extended shifts and on their days off in order to keep the people of Dorset safe. As we do that, we are told by Government ‘you are doing a great job thanks for that but we are not going to reward you or even maintain where you are financially’.

We need an effective and independent process to decide how police officer pay is decided. We will do all we can to try to achieve this. Meanwhile Dorset Police officers will proudly keep our beautiful county safe and trust that if we are not appreciated on high, we are appreciated by our community.