Hampshire Police Pay and Morale Report

10 April 2024

81% of Hampshire Police officers feel ‘worse off’ financially now than they were five years ago and 15% ‘never’ or ‘almost never’ have enough money to cover all their essentials.

According to the 2023 Police Federation of England and Wales Pay and Morale Report – published today - 90% of respondents have seen living cost increases in the previous month and 73% of officers are dissatisfied with their pay.

Worryingly, 18% of Hampshire Police officers who responded to the survey said they intend to resign from the police service either ‘within the next two years’ or ‘as soon as [they] can’.

Whilst Police Officers received a 7% pay rise in 2023, they have still seen an incredible 16% real-terms pay cut over the past 12 years. 

Police chiefs have pointed out that the high cost of living in the UK is placing an even bigger strain on officers, as well as hampering recruitment. They have asked the Government for officers to receive a 6% pay rise in 2024. 

Officers are also struggling with low morale and lack of support, the survey found. 91% of officers said they do not feel respected by the Government, and 56% said they were experiencing low morale.

66% of respondents from Hampshire Police said that they would not recommend joining the police to others. 68% said they do not feel valued within the service.

Zoe Wakefield, Chair of Hampshire Police Federation, said: “Policing is a difficult and dangerous job. Police officers deserve to be fairly paid and treated fairly by the Government. Neither of those things are happening at the moment so it is no surprise that officers are leaving and looking for jobs outside of policing. 

“The public deserve to have a well-funded police force with experienced officers. The government need to invest in policing for this to happen. 

“I will be meeting with Chief Constable Scott Chilton to discuss the results and what more can be done to support officers in Hampshire and the Isle of Wight.”

Officers are coming under attack from the public too, the report showed, with 20% having suffered one or more injuries that required medical attention as a result of work-related violence in the last year.

Only 11% of officers who responded reported having access to double crewing at all times whilst on duty.

77% of respondents from Hampshire Police said that over the last 12 months, their workload has been ‘too high’ or ‘much too high’. 5% of officers said that they have ‘never’ or ‘rarely’ been able to take an 11-hour break between shifts in the last 12 months and 47% said they feel ‘always’ or ‘often’ feel pressured into working long hours.

Sadly, 85% of respondents from Hampshire Police indicated that they had experienced feelings of stress, low mood, anxiety, or other difficulties with their health and wellbeing over the last 12 months, and 48% said that they find their job ‘very’ or ‘extremely’ stressful.

The survey is based on 803 responses received from Hampshire Police officers.