Why police officers are leaving and why retention is crucial

23 October 2024

PFEW’s 2024 Police Leavers’ Survey revealed key reasons behind resignations and retirements, emphasising the importance of retaining experienced officers to ensure effective policing for the public.

Policing is a demanding profession, and recent trends reveal many officers are deciding to leave before reaching their pension age. This presents a growing challenge for the service as retention becomes increasingly difficult amidst worsening morale, job dissatisfaction, and personal strains.

PFEW’s 2024 Police Leavers’ Survey, which captured the experiences of 2,654 officers, pinpoints key reasons behind police resignations and retirements, highlighting why retaining experienced officers is crucial for maintaining an effective service for the public.

It found 73 per cent of officers who left between 2017 and 2024 retired after reaching pension age, while the remaining 27 per cent resigned. Although retirement at pension age is expected, the fact more than a quarter of leavers are resigning before reaching this milestone is concerning.

Among those resigning, the primary reasons include:

• Low morale: 74 per cent of those who resigned cited low morale as a major reason for leaving. Officers often feel underappreciated, or their efforts do not lead to meaningful outcomes, which contributes to job dissatisfaction.
• Job satisfaction: Many officers (65 per cent) expressed dissatisfaction with their roles, feeling unable to carry out their duties to the standard they desire due to constraints like understaffing or administrative burdens.
• Personal life impacts: The toll on family life is significant, with 63 per cent of those who left the service pointing to the job’s negative effect on their family and personal life as a critical factor. Officers often face long and irregular hours, high stress, and a lack of work-life balance.
• Staff shortages: A common complaint is the lack of personnel to manage increasing workloads, with 60 per cent of resigners indicating understaffing and the inability to meet team or unit demands drove their decision to leave.

While retirement is often linked to pension access, it is notable that 40 per cent of retirees also mentioned low morale as a significant factor. This suggests even long-serving officers may be leaving because they feel disillusioned with the current state of policing.

Health issues, both physical and psychological, have emerged as key factors influencing decisions to leave the police force. More than a third of all respondents reported the job had a detrimental impact on their health, with those resigning particularly affected.

The 2024 report shows:

• 59 per cent of police officers who quit said the job’s impact on their psychological health had a major effect on their decision to leave, compared to 34 per cent of retirees.
• 41 per cent of resigners and 32 per cent of retirees pointed to physical health issues as a reason for their departure.

These findings indicate the demanding nature of police work can take a severe toll on officers’ wellbeing, contributing to early resignations.

Police retention is critical to maintaining an effective law enforcement service. When experienced officers leave, it results in several negative consequences:

1. Loss of experience and expertise: Veteran officers have valuable experience that is difficult to replace. Their departure leaves gaps in knowledge, leadership, and training for newer recruits.
2. Increased workload for remaining staff: As more officers leave, the pressure on those who remain intensifies. This can create a vicious cycle where overworked officers become burnt out, leading to further resignations or reduced performance.
3. Cost of recruitment and training: Hiring and training new officers is costly and time-consuming. Every officer who leaves represents a loss of investment for the police force, and it takes years for new recruits to acquire the same level of expertise as those who have left.
4. Erosion of public trust: High turnover can affect community policing and undermine public trust. A stable and experienced police force is better equipped to foster strong community relationships and effectively manage local issues.

The report suggests that changes in the working environment could encourage officers to reconsider their decision to leave. Notably, 30 per cent of respondents said a better work-life balance would make them reconsider their departure.

Furthermore, 42 per cent of those who resigned said improvements in welfare would make them reconsider their decision, and 45 per cent mentioned a lighter workload as a key factor.

These findings indicate addressing work-life balance, providing better mental health support, and ensuring appropriate staffing levels are essential steps in improving retention rates.

The 2024 Police Leavers’ Survey highlights the importance of addressing the reasons why officers are resigning or retiring.

While some departures are inevitable, the high number of resignations due to low morale, poor job satisfaction, and health concerns is worrying.

Retention of experienced officers is vital to ensure a well-functioning and effective police force. Implementing strategies to improve morale, provide better support, and ensure a healthier work-life balance could help stem the tide of resignations, maintaining a strong and resilient police service for the future.

Acting National Chair, Tiff Lynch, said: “This survey clearly demonstrates urgent action is needed to address the retention crisis within our police forces. “It is deeply concerning that 27 per cent of police officers are resigning before reaching pension age, with low morale and poor job satisfaction cited as the main reasons. 

“A significant number of our most experienced officers are leaving the service, disillusioned and burnt out - an alarming trend that must be reversed.

“The findings show the pressures officers face, understaffing, increasing workloads, and the psychological toll that is pushing many to breaking point. 

“More than half of resigning officers stated that their mental health has been severely affected by the job. This is unacceptable. We must ensure the welfare of our officers is prioritised, providing them with the support they need to stay healthy and productive in their roles. Government must therefore ensure the Police Covenant is meaningful and makes a positive and tangible difference to officers’ lives.

“Improving work-life balance, reducing the administrative burden, and ensuring appropriate staffing levels are all crucial steps we must take if we want to retain our skilled, experienced and dedicated officers. It is not just a matter of protecting their wellbeing but also of maintaining an effective and professional service for the public.

“We cannot afford to continue losing experienced officers at this rate. Without them, the consequences will be felt across the service, and across communities too. It is time for serious investment in the future of policing, ensuring we create an environment where officers feel valued, supported, and properly rewarded for the dangerous and demanding job they do.”