Fewer Recruits See Policing As Lifelong Career

11 September 2020

People are not signing up to be police officers for a lifelong career anymore – as figures show more are leaving the service every year.

Essex Police Federation says recruits will often say they are only planning to join the force for a short three or four-year spell because it can look good on their CV.

Nationally nearly 2,400 officers voluntarily left the role last year – the highest figure for five years.

PFEW leaders want the Government to do more to retain officers who are already in the job, as well as getting new recruits on board.

Uncertainty over pensions has shifted policing from being a lifelong vocation, according to Essex Police Federation Chair Laura Heggie.

She said: “People are leaving in the numbers that we never used to have, but that’s because sadly the reality is people don’t join the police force now for a 30-year career, which is what they used to do.

“I’ve spoken to student officers when they’re joining and have discussed this with them; some of them quite freely say, ‘I’ve joined because this will look good on my CV. I’m going to give it three or four years’, and then they’re going to move on to do something else.

“We’re not recruiting career cops anymore.

“People used to join because you knew that come 30 years in the job you would then be able to retire with your lump sum and potentially you’d still be young enough to go and do a second career having fulfilled your full 30 years.

“Because of the changes in the pension and the working-age that’s now changed. That’s no longer set in stone. In time to come, we’re going to end up with 58, 60-year-old coppers on the front line.”

There have to be more perceived benefits to stay in the job and to make it worthwhile putting up with the mental and physical toll it can take, Laura believes.

She added: “There have to be benefits. There’s got to be that incentive, and they’ve got to stay in place because people have got to be able to plan for later in their life.

“It’s partly why we have issues with retention now.”