28 October 2024

Federation: We need to invest in our people by backing them

63% of those who left the police service pointed to the job’s negative effect on their family and personal life as a critical factor, a new Leavers Survey has shown.

The Police Federation of England and Wales captured the experiences of 2,654 officers who had left the job and discovered that reasons for them leaving, included long/irregular hours, high stress and no work/life balance.

The survey showed 27% of police officers are resigning before reaching pension age, with low morale and poor job satisfaction cited as the main reasons.

More than half of resigning police officers stated their mental health has been severely affected by the job.  

74% of resigners cited low morale as a major reason for leaving. 41% of resigners and 32% of retirees pointed to physical health issues as a reason.

60% said understaffing/the inability to meet team or unit demands drove their decision.

James Dimmack, Chair of Dorset Police Federation, said: "The stats regarding officers leaving are alarming. Unchecked we are walking into a chasm of inexperience.

“We are already feeling this on the reduced front line. We have less numbers parading for duty with ever dwindling levels of service. Who do these officers learn from? Who do that decompress with? Who do they seek advice from when struggling?”

In the last financial year, Dorset Police added 99 police officers… but 53 left the force.

James added: “Policing is often referred to as family or team. This is the essence of what we are as this is how we make sense of the chaos of what we are asked to do day in day out. If that team is asked to do more with less and are not experienced at doing it then of course it will have effects.

“These effects are seen in productivity and also starkly here people leaving. Changes to the pension are sadly manifesting into policing as a job rather that a vocation. We need to attract the right people to our proud profession and we need to keep them.

We need to invest in our people by backing them. Back them with suitable resources to do the job. Back them to do that job free of the fear of mistakes allow people to learn that is how things work.

“We need to rebuild the team and reunite the family because together we are strong and together is the only way we can succeed.”