9 out of 10 Hertfordshire officers feel Force morale is low

2 May 2025

‘Change is happening, but there’s a lot of work to be done to make this Force one of the best in the country again,” said Luke Mitchell, as he reflects on recent survey results.

The Pay and Morale Survey 2024 has revealed that 91 per cent of officers within Hertfordshire Constabulary feel morale in the Force is ‘low’ or ‘very low’.

Additionally, two-thirds (61 per cent) of respondents felt their own morale is either ‘low’ or ‘very low’, the third worst in the country. This was an increase from last year’s 54 per cent.

“The fact that morale in Hertfordshire ranks among the lowest in the country is a strong indicator of the current environment within our Force,” said Luke. 

 

 

“It suggests that our members don’t feel supported, engaged or valued - factors that are critical to both an individual’s wellbeing and the success of an organisation. It’s disappointing and a shame that these figures don’t seem to be improving.”

Almost a quarter of those who responded told the survey they intend to resign from the police service either ‘within the next two years’ or ‘as soon as [they] can’. 

In Hertfordshire, the main reasons behind this were mental health and wellbeing, and how the police are treated by the government (with 87 per cent, 77 per cent and 72 per cent respectively).

Concerning

“Hearing that nearly one in four of our officers want to leave the service is very concerning,” continued Luke.

“However, these figures aren’t necessarily a surprise. It’s been a difficult and turbulent few years within the Force. And the results from our most recent pay and morale surveys speak for themselves, morale is extremely low here in Hertfordshire - and we simply can’t shy away from that.

“But what I do want to stress is that we now have a new Chief Constable and a new executive team now. Changes are being made.”

Chief Constable Andy Prophet was appointed in January this year, and Luke is hopeful he will lead the Force into a more positive future.

Luke added: “I’ve attended some of the ‘Chief Constable Conversation’ sessions and I’m reassured that the early signs indicate our new Chief is making positive changes for the benefit of our members.

“I feel that the new Chief and the team around him understand that change needs to happen, and I’m glad that he is listening to what our members are saying.

Pay

“However, our members want to hear what he is doing nationally with our stakeholders, like the National Police Chiefs Council (NPCC), to canvass for more funding and to ensure our pay is restored to where it should be.”

“He needs to continue to listen to our members, hear our concerns and make those urgent changes within Hertfordshire to make this one of the best Forces to work for in the country again.”

Other results from this year’s Hertfordshire Pay and Morale Survey include:

• 85 per cent of respondents from Hertfordshire Constabulary indicated that they had experienced feelings of stress, low mood, anxiety, or other difficulties with their health and wellbeing over the last 12 months.

• 60 per cent of respondents from Hertfordshire Constabulary said that they are ‘dissatisfied’ or ‘very dissatisfied’ with their overall remuneration (including basic pay and allowances).

• 87 per cent of respondents from Hertfordshire Constabulary reported that their cost of living had increased in the last month, with an increase in the price of their food shop being the most cited reason (96 per cent).

• 79 per cent of respondents from Hertfordshire Constabulary felt that they were worse off financially than they were five years ago.

• 76 per cent of respondents from Hertfordshire Constabulary said that they would not recommend joining the police to others.

• 91 per cent of respondents from Hertfordshire Constabulary said that they do not feel respected by the Government.

As a result of this year’s Pay and Morale Survey results, the Police Federation of England and Wales (PFEW) has launched Copped Enough: What the Police Take Home is Criminal.

The national movement aims to expose the deep-rooted issues within policing impacting its workers everywhere, in particular, shining a light on poor police pay. This follows a real-term pay cut of 20 per cent since 2010.

As part of the campaign, the public is being urged to stand with police and their families by joining a digital picket line at www.polfed.org/campaigns/copped-enough

Read the full Hertfordshire Pay and Morale Survey.