Police officers in Hertfordshire are being assaulted on duty, awarded compensation in court - but are then left with nothing.

Hertfordshire Police Federation has launched its Pay Back campaign, which demands justice for officers who continue to be failed by a system that does not enforce court-ordered damages.

Federation chair Luke Mitchell said: "Our members are being attacked just for doing their jobs. And even when the courts recognise that with a compensation order, offenders are walking away without paying a penny."

"This is justice denied. And it’s happening far too often.

“The problem is, they’re being assaulted, then awarded - but not getting paid, and that’s not acceptable.”

Compensation

When officers are assaulted and compensation is awarded by the courts, the expectation is that the offender should pay. But in many cases, that simply isn’t happening. 

Luke added: “There’s no enforcement. No follow-up. No accountability.”

And so, officers turn elsewhere - often claiming through the Hertfordshire Police Federation’s Group Insurance Scheme. But that safety net, while vital, is not a sustainable solution.

"We’re grateful the scheme exists," Luke said, adding: "but it’s not right that officers are, in effect, paying for their own compensation. The more claims we make through the scheme, the higher our premiums get. We’re just shifting the burden."

• In 2024, that 30 officers claimed £4,500 through the Federation’s Group Insurance Scheme.

• So far, in 2025 20 officers have claimed a total of £2,500 through the Federation’s Group Insurance Scheme.

"But these numbers likely represent only a fraction of the true cost. Not every officer can afford the insurance," Luke noted. "And many just give up, knowing the compensation they were awarded will never arrive. The current figures are a snapshot, not the full picture."

A decade ago, unpaid compensation was covered by the police authority or PCC if it wasn’t received within six months. That safety net is long gone.

Luke warned: "Now, unless you’re insured, you get nothing."

And this isn’t just a local crisis, it’s national. Officers across the UK are owed hundreds of thousands of pounds in unpaid compensation. And if it’s happening to police officers, it’s happening to victims of crime more broadly.

"I’d be asking, how many victims across Hertfordshire - and across the country -are being left behind because courts don’t follow through?" Luke asked.

The Federation is calling for urgent reform. Compensation orders must be enforced. And where recovery isn’t possible, the state must step in.

"If the courts can't collect, the Government must bridge the gap," Luke said.

Penalised

“We cannot accept a system where people are assaulted in uniform and then financially penalised for it. That’s not justice."

The campaign also highlights other financial impacts - such as personal property damage - officers face when attacked on duty.

"If an officer’s glasses get smashed in an assault, they have to pay out of pocket for a new pair. Why? There should be a straightforward process for them to recover those costs without delay,” he said.

The 'Pay Back' campaign is just beginning. The Federation is now exploring Freedom of Information (FOI) requests to quantify the national scale of unpaid damages. Stories from individual officers who’ve never received their compensation will also form part of the campaign’s next phase.

Luke emphasised: "This is about standing up for our members - and for any victim of crime who’s been told they matter, only to be let down. It’s time to 'Pay Back' what’s owed.”

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