Survey finds more officers intending to quit policing

20 February 2024

Hertfordshire Police Federation chair Luke Mitchell says he is disappointed but not surprised to see an increase in officers’ intentions to quit policing.

Oscar Kilo’s fourth annual national police wellbeing survey said ‘that a large proportion of the policing workforce continued to find their work meaningful’, and ‘were motivated to invest their personal energy into serving the public’.

However, it also found that the intention to quit had increased for police officers to the highest level since the first survey in 2019/20.

The survey also found there has been a decline in emotional energy for officers, with officers showing the lowest average level since 2019/20. This, the report said, indicated a trend towards burnout.

Almost seven out of 10 officers (69.6 per cent) reported high levels of fatigue, with very high levels experienced by 28.9 per cent of officers.

The findings showed a trend towards burnout among officers.

Officers also reported lower average levels of feeling valued by their Force, the report said.

Luke said: “It’s disappointing to hear of an increase in the numbers of officers who have the intention to quit policing.

“However, given the the fact that in the same survey increasing numbers of officers are reporting high levels of fatigue, feeling less valued by their Force and declining emotional energy, then it’s not really surprising.

“Essentially, officers are overworked, underpaid and feel undervalued. They’re doing far more in their roles for far less reward and don’t feel completely supported by the Government, their Forces and the public.

“It’s a heady brew and one which will inevitably make some officers think about whether they want to continue in policing.”

Of the more than 42,000 responses to the Oscar Kilo survey, 23,616 were from police officers and 205 from Special Constables.

The report authors said they were encouraged that there had been a decrease in the symptoms of depression among police officers, with levels at the lowest since 2019/20.

High average levels of confidence in job skills were reported by officers, which contributed to a sense of competence and effectiveness, the report said.

And moderately high levels of resilience were reported for police officers.

Andy Rhodes, service director for the National Police Wellbeing Service, Oscar Kilo, said: “The issues of stress, anxiety, and trauma among our officers and staff, exacerbated by challenging working conditions and hierarchical structures, are not just individual concerns but directly impact the quality of service delivered to the public.

“Our comprehensive review, integrating findings from a wide array of sources, makes it clear that addressing these wellbeing issues is not optional but a necessity.”

He added: “As the National Police Wellbeing Service, we will continue to support forces, but this isn't just about ticking boxes; it's about real changes in how we support our people.

“We're working on new strategies and tools, like a national health and wellbeing strategy and the Police Health Observatory, to make sure our officers and staff are physically and mentally prepared for the demands of policing.

“It's about creating a workplace where everyone feels supported and ready to face the challenges of the job.”

Chief Constable Andy Marsh, chief executive of the College of Policing, said: “I’m grateful to the tens of thousands of officers and staff who took the time to complete this survey and give us further clarity on where we must target our work to improve wellbeing.

“There is absolutely no doubt that they want to do their best for the public and are working incredibly hard in very challenging circumstances.”

Read the Oscar Kilo survey report.