Poor police pay, cost of living and poor morale continue to be a massive concern in Suffolk, as the Federation reflects on the latest Pay and Morale Survey.

Results reveal that eight out of 10 (80 per cent) respondents from Suffolk Constabulary admitted to experiencing feelings of stress, low mood, anxiety or other difficulties with their health and wellbeing over the last 12 months.

In addition, 85 per cent of respondents felt that morale within the Force is currently ‘low’ or ‘very low’. This comes in slightly short of last year's statistic, which was 93 per cent.

Half of those who responded (50 per cent) told the survey that their own personal morale is currently ‘low’ or ‘very low’. This, again, is a slight improvement on last year’s results, which was 58 per cent.

Suffolk branch chair Darren Harris.

“While I’m pleased to see a small improvement regarding morale locally, we can’t shy away from the fact that more than 80 per cent of our officers feel morale within the Force is poor,” said branch chair Darren Harris.

“And for eight out of 10 of our officers to report feelings of stress, low mood, and anxiety isn’t acceptable. 

"It saddens me to hear that half of our respondents feel that their own morale is currently low or very low. And we must remember, these feelings won’t just impact them, they will affect how they work, their home life, and their loved ones.

“I now call on our local MPs to see these results and pass them onto their colleagues in the Government. Policing can’t continue with such poor morale, but workloads have rocketed, demand is higher than ever, and our workforce is stretched.

Poor morale

"This needs to be addressed - and it needs to be addressed, quickly, before things get even worse.”

Just under 70 per cent (69 per cent) of respondents said they did not feel valued within the police, with 92 per cent revealing they don’t feel respected by the Government.

In addition, almost one in five (17 per cent) said they intend to resign from the police service either ‘within the next two years’ or as soon as [they] can.

Darren continued: “92 per cent is a huge figure. That’s nine out of 10 officers who don’t feel respected by the Government - a Government that we should trust to support us, give us the pay we deserve and fight for our rights. The Government should feel ashamed that so many police officers don’t feel respected by them.

“Is it any wonder so many are thinking about leaving their job?

Other results included:

• 86 per cent of participants feel their cost of living has increased in the last month

• 57 per cent said that they are ‘dissatisfied’ or ‘very dissatisfied’ with their overall remuneration (including basic pay and allowances). 

• 78 per cent of respondents from Suffolk Constabulary felt that they were worse off financially than they were five years ago.

• 35 per cent of respondents from Suffolk Constabulary have experienced verbal insults (e.g., swearing, shouting, abuse) at least once per week in the past 12 months.

“These results are shocking, but they don’t come as a surprise. The Federation has been warning for years that cuts have consequences,” said Darren.

“Officers have suffered real-term pay cut of 20 per cent over the past decade, they are expected to do more than ever and are struggling under the weight of work, and they are under the threat of assault just for doing their jobs.”

Survey

Darren reassured members that the Federation will share the findings of the Pay and Morale Survey with chief officers and use the results to address ongoing concerns.

In the meantime, the Police Federation of England and Wales (PFEW) has launched its Copped Enough campaign to highlight the crisis in policing.

The campaign, Copped Enough: What the Police Take Home is Criminal, calls on the public to support police and their families by joining a ‘digital picket line’ in protest at www.polfed.org/campaigns/copped-enough

The campaign calls for immediate action on three key areas:

Restore police pay

o    Urgent, fully-funded action on fair pay

o    Full recognition of an army-style P-Factor allowance recognising the unique risks of policing

o    Implement a binding, independent pay review system to remove political interference

Stop the mass exodus of experienced officers

o    Provide a retention package to keep skilled officers in policing

o    Develop a workforce plan focused on retention, not just recruitment

o    Support work-life balance, including protecting rest days, improved parental leave and transition support

Protect officers on the frontline

o    Enforce stronger sentencing for assaults on police officers

o    Fund police treatment centres centrally

o    Provide robust mental health support, including mandatory national recording of suicides and attempted suicides

Darren ended: “We urge the public to get behind the campaign and show their support for our brave men and women who put themselves in danger every day to serve and protect.”

Read the full Suffolk Pay and Morale report here.