Record Number of Officers Leaving the Service as Demands and Pressures Mount

14 August 2025

Police officers are choosing to leave the service in record numbers, new figures have shown.

Government statistics show that 8,795 police officers left the 43 police forces in England and Wales in the past financial year – that's 6% of the workforce. The most common reason for leaving was voluntary resignation (53.1%).

In Sussex, 137 officers left over the same period.

Sussex Police Federation Chair Raffaele Cioffi said the figures are unsurprising given the demands of the job and the lack of work/life balance for officers.

He said: "Demand on our members is significantly increasing, while our resourcing has plateaued at 2010 levels.

"We face additional responsibilities within society, increased scrutiny, and a work/life balance that has shifted heavily towards work. People are looking for alternative options and that is unsurprising.

"This needs to be addressed at a national level by the Government. Forces are trying to make savings to stick to budgets that are, frankly, impossible to meet without affecting service.”

However, Raffaele said that greater openness about the effects of trauma, along with improved mental health and wellbeing support, could encourage officers to remain in policing.

He explained: “We are starting to see much more openness around trauma, and the level of trauma an officer carries is significant.

“That has a major impact on retention within the workforce because there’s only so much trauma an individual can handle when it’s left unaddressed – to the point where they may have to make a significant life decision about their occupation in order to preserve their own health and family responsibilities.”