‘Morale is as low as I have known it to be’
12 January 2023
A long-serving Hertfordshire Police officer has warned more and more colleagues will be looking to leave the service unless issues surrounding pay and conditions are resolved and morale among the rank and file improved.
Paul Pickett, who is a Hertfordshire Police Federation workplace representative, was speaking in the wake of the publication of the Police Federation’s 2022 pay and morale survey.
The survey found 78 per cent of respondents from Hertfordshire Constabulary were dissatisfied or very dissatisfied with their overall remuneration and 69 per cent found their workload too high or much too high.
Morale has taken a huge hit as a result with 58 per cent of respondents describing their morale as low or very low and 87 per cent feeling morale across the Force was low or very low.
Paul, a frontline intervention sergeant based in St Albans, has been with the Force for 19 years and said he had seen a slow but steady decline in officer morale during that time.
He said: “It has been a drip, drip process but over time things have become noticeably worse and morale at the moment is as low as I’ve known it to be.
“Unfortunately it has become the norm and not many people you speak to with two to five years service are happy in their role.
“And although the survey suggests 23 per cent of Hertfordshire officers have indicated an intention to leave, the reality is a lot more would quit if they could.
“When you speak to officers with five years or more service, many will tell you that if it wasn’t for the mortgage or a lack of other career opportunities, they would also be planning to leave and that is really sad.”
Paul said the reasons behind low morale among officers were often complex but had no doubt that pay and conditions were major factors.
He said: “There are no real surprises in the survey but it does hit home how the cost of living crisis is having a massive impact on rank and file officers who might be worried about paying their mortgage or household bills.
“Hertfordshire Police has, to its credit, done what it can over the last 12 months and has increased the South East Allowance to its maximum level but we would now like to see them lobbying the Government for an increase on that allowance.”
Paul said an increased workload was also having an impact across the Force and Hertfordshire Police Federation has already raised the alarm over officer burn-out and fatigue.
“The survey said 69 per cent of Hertfordshire officers believe our workload is too high or much too high which is an incredible number and this also has a knock-on effect on morale generally but also on the service we provide,” said Paul.
The Police Federation received 824 responses from Hertfordshire Police Federation members, representing a response rate of around 37 per cent.
The survey findings will be presented to chief constables, ministers and other stakeholders as part of the Federation’s campaign for better pay and conditions and further improvements to the police service.
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