28% rise in Leicestershire officers with second job

16 July 2025

28% rise in Leicestershire officers with second job

Leicestershire Police has seen a 28% increase in officers taking on second jobs simply to make ends meet, new figures have shown.

A total of 88 officers sought approval to take on extra work in 2024, compared with 69 in 2019; according to data obtained by the Police Federation of England and Wales un-der the Freedom of Information Act.

Andy Spence, Chair of Leicestershire Police Federation, said the figures were an indictment on poor police pay.

He said: “Police officers are worse off than they were five years ago, with more than 10% not having enough to cover their essential bills. It is no wonder that officers are being forced to take on second jobs.

“They are assaulted and abused and when they look to the Government for support and help they get none. The recent pay and morale survey showed that 20% of officers were looking to leave as soon as possible or within the next two years. These are officers who are considering resigning, not retiring.”

Andy called on the Government to focus on retaining officers and their years of experience to keep the public safe. Across England and Wales, more than 4,000 officers secured approval for secondary employment in 2024 – double the number recorded in 2019. Forces in some of the most expensive areas of the country have seen especially sharp rises.

The highest individual figure came in Merseyside Police, where 372 officers reported having a second job.

In Dyfed-Powys, approvals rose from nine officers in 2019 to 287 last year, an increase of over 3,000%. There was a 503% increase in South Wales; Essex saw a five-fold rise; Cleveland recorded a 421% increase and Hampshire a 348% jump.

Since 2010, police pay has fallen by 21% in real terms. New recruits start on £29,000 a year, and after six years’ service are earning up to £10,000 less than teachers or nurses with equivalent experience. With inflation and rising interest rates pushing living costs ever higher, many officers feel they have no choice but to seek additional income.

An officer serving in Wales, speaking on condition of anonymity, described the personal toll of the crisis. He said that without his second job he and his wife would have faced eviction. He added that the extra work had affected his sleep diet and fitness, but was essential to survive.

The Police Federation of England and Wales is calling on the government to outline urgent plans to restore the 21% pay lost in real-terms pay since 2010, and has called on the public to demonstrate support for police by joining the digital picket line: https://www.polfed.org/campaigns/copped-enough/

Brian Booth, PFEW Acting Deputy National Chair, called the figures a “damning indictment” of successive governments’ failure to address officer pay.

He said: “Police officers are overworked, underpaid and under threat. They should not have to finish a shift protecting the public and then work a second job just to pay their bills. The impact on their family life or rest and recovery time is scary to think about.”