Pay freeze: ‘A slap in the face for police officers’

22 July 2021

The freezing of police officer pay until next year at the earliest is a slap in the face for police officers who have given their all and put their health at risk while policing during the pandemic, says the chair of Suffolk Police Federation.

Darren Harris was responding to yesterday’s release of the annual report from the Police Remuneration Review Body (PRRB), the independent body responsible for making recommendations to the Government on police pay.

“The news that there will be no pay rise for officers this year will be a bitter blow to officers,” says Darren, “Throughout the pandemic, they have carried on with a business as usual approach in circumstances that have been far from normal. They have put their own health at risk while serving their communities, dealing with all the regular calls for assistance, fighting crime, keeping order and protecting the vulnerable. They have also had to adapt to seemingly ever-changing Covid-19 regulations and restrictions, often at short notice, and police in what have been incredibly challenging times.

“While doing that they have been assaulted, spat at and coughed over by individuals claiming to have coronavirus. The Government has made much of saying it appreciates their efforts and only last month Home Secretary Priti Patel claimed, once again, to ‘have our backs’. Quite frankly, if this represents a Home Secretary who has got our backs then I would dread to think what it would be like if she didn’t – would we be facing a pay cut?

“But what is particularly galling is that the PRRB is supposed to be an independent organisation that reviews evidence submitted by interested parties, such as the Police Federation and the Superintendents’ Association, and yet it is clearly told what it can and can’t do.

“This year, its remit from the Government meant that it could not recommend a pay lift in keeping with the Government’s decision to pause pay reviews for the majority of the public sector which clearly included police officers.”

Darren is now calling for an overhaul of the police pay review process.

“It cannot be right that we are told there is an independent pay body and yet this the Government ties its hands,” says Darren.

John Apter, national chair of the Police Federation, has been equally critical both of the decision on pay and the pay review process.

He said yesterday: “Police officers have been on the frontline of this pandemic for 18 months and will now see firefighters and local government workers in England given a 1.5 per cent increase while they receive nothing. This is further evidence that not all public services are treated equally by this Government, and some are valued more than others.

“The current pay system for policing is not fit for purpose. We are forced to enter into an inherently unfair process from the start, with the odds weighted firmly in favour of the Government where, it seems, a decision has already been made when they set the parameters for the pay review body.

“It is now essential that we review this process and look to find an alternative; a solution that has the best interests of police officer pay at heart. We will be seeking the views of our members and calling an urgent meeting with our 43 Federation branches from across England and Wales to discuss our next steps.”

The review body was allowed to consider a pay uplift for those earning less than £24,000 a year and, as such, has recommended the minimum rates for Police Constable Degree Apprentice starting pay and Pay Point 0 of the constable scale are increased by £250 and all officers earning less than £24,000 (on a full-time equivalent basis) should receive a consolidated pay award of £250.

The PRRB report acknowledged police officers’ unique role during the pandemic.

It stated: “The work of police officers is important, difficult, complex and sometimes dangerous in the ordinary course of events. As one of the groups working on the frontline during the pandemic, Covid-19 meant that the police had to adapt and respond to a new situation and enforce new and evolving regulations. This added further pressures and personal risk to their challenging role. Consequently, we would like to acknowledge our remit group for their particular contribution this year.”

But Darren said this would come as little consolation to officers.

“Sadly, the Government has presided over a culture in which police officers feel completely unappreciated. Their day to day role involves putting their lives on the line and all too often they are seriously injured or lose their lives while seeking to protect the public. The words of politicians who claim to be supportive of policing mean nothing if they are not backed by their actions,” he says.