Federation Concern Over Number Of Officers Leaving The Service

19 September 2025

Just one officer leaving the police service can severely impact the frontline, the Chair of Kent Police Federation has said, as he urged the importance of looking after officers in a time of low morale.

Neil Mennie was speaking after the chief executive of the College of Policing, Sir Andy Marsh, told the Police Superintendents’ Association Annual Conference that the number of officers leaving the police service was to be expected and is not high when compared with other sectors.

The latest figures show that 8,795 police officers left the 43 police forces in England and Wales in the past financial year. The most common reason for leaving was voluntary resignation (53.1% of leavers).

Sir Andy pointed out that this represents just 6% of officers nationwide, which “would be the envy of many other sectors”. In the context of the recent policing uplift, many more people have been through training, he said, adding: “I think it probably is quite right that some people leave, because the job's not for them or we find they're not for us.”

But Neil said this wasn’t just about numbers, but the effect on policing teams and how effective they can be in the face of increasing demand.

Neil said: “At times, statistics can be open to interpretation – and in this case, we need to think about how they actually impact the frontline. Who is leaving and at what level of service they are at is equally important.

“We are already heading toward a situation where officers with less than five years’ service are making up a very significant number of resources. They are very welcome, but certainly need to benefit from those longer-in-service colleagues across all areas of policing.

“A rapid increase in policing numbers, rather than a steady increase, does present some challenges, and those are coupled with the ever-increasing demand for service.

“For example, if you are part of a busy local policing team, the hole left by one experienced officer leaving makes a big difference and a replacement is usually some way off.”

In the Police Federation of England and Wales’ latest Pay and Morale Survey, almost a quarter (23%) of respondents said that they intend to leave policing either ‘within the next two years’ or ‘as soon as they can’.

Neil said: “Leaving the service is something that far too many officers are thinking about. This may not immediately translate into leaving, but it is reasonable to assume that officers are certainly not happy with their lot.

“It’s vital that we retain and look after our officers in the longer term, and this means increasing morale beyond that initial excitement of joining and hopefully carry it into a full career.”