Chief Constable backs Federation’s warnings over pay

21 March 2023

Suffolk Police Federation’s calls for a significant pay rise for police officers to enable them to keep pace with the soaring cost of living have been echoed by the Chief Constable of Essex.

Earlier this month, Suffolk Police Federation chair Darren Harris spoke about how colleagues feel “betrayed” after a report by the Social Market Foundation (SMF) found pay for UK police officers declined by 17 per cent in real terms between 2000 and 2022.

This week Chief Constable BJ Harrington shared a photo on social media of a food bank in one of his stations, run by colleagues to ensure their fellow officers have something to eat. More than 300 had asked him for permission to take on second jobs, he said.

In his comments to new recruits, which were reported across the national press, the Essex Chief said: “My colleagues are proud – they are not the kind to complain but someone has to speak up for them and their families. You can’t Taser the gas bill and you can’t handcuff the family food shop at Lidl. And you can’t arrest rising mortgage bills.

“Police pay has fallen behind that of other sectors by 17 per cent since the year 2000 and this is too big a gap to simply ignore. I need the officers and staff across Essex to focus on helping people, keeping people safe and catching criminals. Not on whether they can afford to stay in the job. You need to be able to afford to do your job.”

Research commissioned by the Federation found that police pay has fallen almost 20 per cent behind inflation between 2000 and 2022 – meaning that it has risen at barely half the rate of an average UK employee across the same period.

Darren Harris, chair of Suffolk Police Federation.

Darren said: “I applaud the Chief Constable of Essex for speaking out in support of his officers. The picture he paints, of a newly qualified sergeant quitting soon after passing his exams, and a father-to-be resigning his post for a £250 a day labourer’s job, is one that is depressingly familiar.

“Recently we heard similar warnings from Sir Mark Rowley of the Met about the dangers of underpaying the police. My colleagues are proud to serve and would not want to strike even if we were able, and all we are asking is for the dignity of a decent wage. It is getting impossible for some colleagues to make the ends meet, which will only make it harder to retain good officers.”

Last year, former student officer Danielle Fisher shared her experience as part of Suffolk Police Federation’s ‘Fair Pay For Police’ campaign. The 29-year-old mother-of-one was forced to walk away from the job after being left with £100 a month after childcare costs.