A hard-hitting national campaign has been launched revealing the stark realities of policing - an unsustainable situation that is placing both officers and public safety at serious risk.

Hertfordshire Police Federation has thrown its support behind the movement, which is titled Copped Enough: What the Police Take Home is Criminal, and highlights the critical need for immediate reforms to police pay, conditions, and wellbeing. 

Launched yesterday, on International Workers’ Day (1 May) - a day that honours fair treatment and safety for all workers - the campaign calls attention to the fact that police officers are denied basic employment rights while enduring rising levels of violence, stress, and diminishing wages.

The campaign follows a 20 per cent drop in real-term earnings for police officers since 2010, despite a growing danger and mounting responsibilities. 

Copped Enough calls for action in three areas:

1. Restore police pay

• Urgent and fully-funded pay restoration

• Introduce a ‘P-Factor’ allowance to reflect the unique demands and risks of policing

• A binding, independent pay review system, free from political interference

2. Stop the exodus of experienced officers

• Develop retention packages for skilled officers

• Implement a national workforce strategy focused on experience, not just recruitment numbers

• Improve work-life balance with better parental leave, protected rest days, and career transition support

3. Protect Frontline Officers

• Enforce tougher sentencing for those who assault police

• Centralised funding for police treatment centres

• Mandatory national recording of suicides and suicide attempts in the service, with dedicated mental health support

The campaign is urging members of the public to take a stand by joining a digital picket line at: www.polfed.org/campaigns/copped-enough

Troubling statistics for policing include:

• By 2027, 10,000 officers nationally are projected to resign each year - a trend that will cost the government nearly £10 billion just to replace those lost.

• 35 per cent of serving officers across England and Wales now have less than five years of service, up by a third since 2020.

• In Hertfordshire, 79 per cent of officers report being financially worse off than they were five years ago - one of the highest rates in the country.

• 17 per cent of Hertfordshire officers report they ‘never’ or ‘almost never’ have enough money to cover the essentials - a stark indicator of growing financial hardship.

• 87 per cent of respondents from Hertfordshire Constabulary reported that their cost of living had increased in the last month

The Federation warns that without urgent intervention, policing will face a severe shortage of experienced officers, with community protection paying the price.

Luke Mitchell, chair of Hertfordshire Police Federation, stated: “Our officers are exhausted, underpaid, and overwhelmed. Many are simply struggling to stay afloat, and some are turning to food banks to survive.

“These are people who run towards danger for a living. But now, too many are being forced to walk away from the career they once loved. Morale is falling fast, and the loss of experience is already being felt on the ground.”

“The message is clear - unless the Government acts, we will lose more officers. And when that happens, public safety will suffer.”

Hertfordshire Police Federation stands united with the national campaign and calls on local MPs, chief officers, and community leaders to back police officers by delivering the fair pay and support they urgently need.

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