Hampshire Officers Deserve Fair Pay And An Increase In The South East Allowance

15 March 2024

“We have seen many good, experienced officers leave because they can no longer afford to do the job,” the Chair of Hampshire Police Federation has said, as she called for decent police pay and an increase in the South East Allowance.

Zoë Wakefield was speaking after Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley gave evidence to the Police Remuneration Review Body (PRRB), saying there should be a police pay rise at or above the rate of inflation.

Sir Mark pointed out that police officers had seen a 16% real-terms pay cut over the past 12 years and that the high cost of living was placing an even bigger strain on officers, as well as hampering recruitment.

He also asked for London weighting to be increased by £2,000 and for the lowest police pay point to be abolished, saying: “It is at the lowest pay points that we’re the least competitive with other sectors, which is why we’re also asking for the lowest pay point to be abolished, with more freedom to set starting salaries.”

The Police Federation of England and Wales (PFEW) has long called for the Government to consider the “P-factor” in its decisions on police pay – the element of police pay that reflects the unique obligations and responsibilities police officers experience relative to other comparative roles.

Zoë said: “Recruitment and retention is a serious issue for policing and it is not going to improve without paying police officers a decent wage that keeps up with inflation. We have seen many good, experienced police officers leave because they can no longer afford to do the job. I know of someone who is a Special Constable who would love to do it full time but can’t afford to take the pay drop from his current job.

“It’s not just about the number of recruits joining, it’s about the quality of those recruits. What life experiences and skills do they bring with them into policing? Policing is a unique, challenging and dangerous job. Our pay should reflect that. Instead we have officers leaving to better-paid jobs at an increasing and alarming rate.

“Sir Mark also spoke about the need for an increase to London weighting. That same increase needs to be given to the South East Allowance. The cost of living is extremely high in the South East, with many officers not having any chance of buying a property without assistance from other sources.”