Government has to act on officer pay, says Fed chair

5 July 2024

Hertfordshire Police Federation chair Luke Mitchell is urging the new Prime Minister to re-set the relationship between Government and policing by announcing plans to review the police pay review process.

The Police Federation of England and Wales no longer engages with the Police Remuneration Review Body (PRRB) because it is not independent, does not allow for independent arbitration and can be over-ruled by Government.

“Officer morale is incredibly low right now, their pay has been cut by 20 per cent in real terms in recent years and they have been left feeling undervalued and disrespected by the previous Government,” says Luke, “If Sir Kier Starmer is serious about delivering on his pre-election promises on tackling law and order he would be well-served by first showing police officers he understands their concerns about the PRRB process and other issues within policing.

“An overhaul of the pay review mechanism would be a good start in terms of improving relations between police officers and Government. It would lift morale and that would benefit not just officers but also the Government since it would help ensure we have a motivated force to deliver the effective policing services our communities would like to see.”

In its election manifesto, Labour pledged to introduce a new Neighbourhood Policing Guarantee, restoring patrols to our town centres by recruiting thousands of new police officers, PCSOs and Special Constables and putting 13,000 extra neighbourhood police and PCSOs on the beat. Every community and resident will have a named officer to turn to when things go wrong.

Funding plans

The party also set out plans for a crackdown on anti-social behaviour, the imposition of tough new penalties for offenders, the introduction of a specialist rape unit in every force and the removal of knives off the streets.

Funding would come from ending tax breaks for private schools and through a Police Efficiency and Collaboration Programme.

Luke said: “These plans are all well and good but if the new Government truly wants to deliver on its election promises it must first address the current crisis in policing, only then will we all be able to move forward.

“Reform of the pay review process is a starting point, but we also need to see long-term, sustainable investment in policing. The cuts to police budgets during the austerity years had a devastating impact on the police service, in how we met the needs of the public but also in how officers’ mental health and wellbeing were affected.

“They were stretched beyond belief, trying to meet increased demand with reduced resources. The Police Uplift Programme, through which 20,000 police officers were recruited in the three years to the end of March last year, has helped, but still more needs to be done to ensure we have the resources to meet the demands placed upon policing, improve officer retention, boost wellbeing and ensure they feel valued and supported so they can properly police their communities.

“I hope the new Prime Minister truly understands how critical it is for him to address the issues surrounding policing as a matter of urgency. The primary duty of any Government is the safety and security of the public it serves, and an effective police service is vital for it to fulfil that duty.”