Chairman of Kent Police Federation calls for an end to ‘paltry wage increases’

10 February 2020

The 2020 police officer pay rise submission has been made – with the Police Federation of England and Wales (PFEW) calling for a 5% pay rise for all police officers.

It is also asking for a minimum starting salary of £24,177 for new recruits.

Other submissions to the Police Remuneration Review Body (PRRB) include:

- The removal of the lowest two pay points for Constables, to facilitate recruitment;

- The shortening of the Constables’ and Sergeants’ pay scales;

- The introduction of new top pay scale points for all ranks, to incentivise retention;

- An increase in location and dog-handlers’ allowance, and that both London and South East allowances should be increased to 150% of their current values.

Neil Mennie, Chairman of Kent Police Federation, said: “Our members have had what can be described as paltry wage increases in recent years. It’s not unreasonable to have rises that are at least commensurate with the cost of living.

“This has not been the case. The Federation’s recent Pay and Morale Survey showed that a significant number of officers have worries about their finances and that includes our members here in Kent.

“It’s important to retain our new recruits and look after the more experienced officers who will guide and train them.”

Neil added: “In recent years, policing has sustained a battering, with fewer officers and higher demand. I truly hope we are beginning to turn a corner and the Government seems to be making the right noises.

“Being a police officer is a vocation and presents a number of unique challenges and risks. It’s often said it’s a job like no other and the properly evidenced proposals to the pay review body reflect this.

“Officers are hard-working professionals and the request for a 5% rise in pay is entirely reasonable.”

All sides – the Home Office, Chief Officers and staff associations – give their recommendations to the independent PRRB, who then submit a paper/recommendation to the Home Secretary Priti Patel. She has the final decision on the pay rise for 2020, usually made in the summer. It will probably kick in in September. Last year the PRRB recommended 2.5% for officers, which was accepted/implemented in full by the Home Secretary.

John Apter, Chairman of PFEW, said: "This comes on the back of 10 years of austerity measures that have seen police officers’ pay either frozen or capped, like many other public sector workers, at 1%.

"So a new recruit might be starting now on £18,500. Now, if that stays as it is, it means that police officers are on 15p an hour more than the living wage; these are officers who many politicians proclaim to be the bravest in the world and are doing fantastic, great stuff.

"That is completely unacceptable. So we’re calling for an increase for starting pay, which will take them to over £24,000, to recognise the role they carry out and the dangers they face, but also an overall pay rise of 5%.

"It doesn’t even fill the gap of the, in real terms, 18% cut in pay that police officers have seen over the past 10 years. But our submission is based on evidence and we think it’s realistic, and the Government must listen.

"If the Government want to retain police officers, if they want to recruit police officers, then they have to pay them fairly. It’s no good standing on the step of Parliament proclaiming how fantastic they are when they don’t give them the pay they deserve."