Labour’s plans to put more bobbies on the beat are set to fail because record numbers of officers are quitting or planning to leave, the Police Federation has warned.
In an exclusive article for The Telegraph, Tiff Lynch, acting chairwoman of the Federation, which represents frontline officers, said Labour’s plans for 13,000 extra neighbourhood police officers were “unattainable” because of the attrition rate of officers leaving the service.
Home Office figures show that the number of police officers voluntarily leaving the service has hit a record high of more than 5,000, or 3.4 per cent of the total workforce. This is more than double the rate just four years ago.
The Federation’s survey of its 145,000 members found that one in five (20 per cent) said they were planning to leave the service within the next two years or as soon as possible. That is equivalent to 29,000 officers – 9,000 more than the officer uplift by the last Tory government.
“The Government has made very clear its current policing priority is taking back our streets, through investment in extra neighbourhood police officers, to drive down the crimes blighting our local communities including anti-social behaviour and shocking levels of shoplifting,” Ms Lynch said.
“In its own words, ‘victims are being let down’. The only way to achieve this is through a sustained recruitment and retention programme. But I am concerned with the current track record in attrition rates, it seems unattainable.”
She said officers felt policing had been “devalued” by this year’s pay award of 4.75 per cent, when millions of other public sector workers had been rewarded with increases of between five and six per cent for the current financial year.
This was despite a recommendation by the National Police Chiefs’ Council that officers should be handed a six per cent rise in order to increase the differential between them and other public sector workers.
“This recommendation was ignored and instead our hardworking police officers were given 4.75 per cent, continuing to widen the gap and deepen division between them and the people they work alongside in helping the public,” said Ms Lynch.
“They have suffered an almost 20 per cent pay cut in real terms since 2010. How can this be fair? What impression does this give to young men and women considering becoming a career police officer? How does this impact serving police officers and their families? And what message goes to members of the public?”
Ms Lynch cited two cases in the past week where “extraordinary” and “brave” police work carried out every day helped convict a doctor who killed his mother’s partner by injecting him with a toxin, and a PC who rescued an unconscious driver from a smoking vehicle that burst into flames minutes after he got him out.
The Federation, which represents grassroots officers up to the rank of chief inspector, is demanding a return to collective pay bargaining where it would be able to negotiate directly with their employers over pay rather than relying on the current Police Remuneration Review Body, which was formed in 2014.
It has boycotted the review body since 2021 because it claims the Home Office can set the parameters for any recommendation, there is no means for negotiation or arbitration and no requirement on the Government to accept its proposals.
The Federation has warned that if the Government refuses its call for collective bargaining it will ballot its 150,000 members on whether they want to seek the right to take industrial action.
The Home Office data showed that the total number of police officers leaving the service was 9,080 in the year to March 2024, accounting for 6.2 per cent of the workforce – the second highest on record. More officers joined than left which meant that there were 147,746 officers in total, up 0.2 per cent on March 2023.
A Home Office spokesman said: “This government will work collaboratively with policing to address challenges and ensure officers have the right support, resources and recognition – and to improve standards.
“As part of our mission to deliver safer streets, we will restore neighbourhood policing and support forces to rebuild relationships with their local communities.
“This includes delivering thousands of extra neighbourhood police, community support officers and special constables, who all play a vital role in building confidence in our communities.”
Officers are exiting in droves – the Government’s target for more police is unsustainable
It was early this week when I was first asked the question, “so, what are your views on Labour’s first 100 days?”, writes Tiff Lynch.
Putting aside my personal views and placing the more than 145,000 police officers I represent at the heart of my reflections, based on our recent meetings with ministers, what I would say is they appear to be listening to the concerns raised over the perpetual problems in policing, which we appreciate. But as we move past the 100-day mark, we need to see warm words translating into action.
As an indispensable public sector service, policing is devalued. As we have seen, millions of public sector workers have been rewarded with 5-6 per cent pay increases for the current financial year – except for police. Police chiefs recommended 6 per cent, increasing the differential between the pay of police officers and other public sector workers, but this was ignored and instead our hardworking police officers were given 4.75 per cent, continuing to widen the gap and deepen division between them and the people they work alongside in helping the public.
They have suffered an almost 20 per cent pay cut in real terms since 2010. How can this be fair? What impression does this give to young men and women considering to become a career police officer? How does this impact serving police officers and their family? And what message goes to members of the public?
Morale is at rock bottom
Over the past week, a Sunderland doctor has been convicted of attempting to kill his mother’s partner, after injecting him with a toxin that caused a flesh-eating disease during a faked Covid vaccine appointment. The work of the police in this case was praised by the Crown Prosecution Service, who described it as an “outstanding investigation into what has been one of the most elaborate criminal plots in recent memory”.
We have also heard about the incredible PC Mark Jones from Cheshire Constabulary, who has been commended after pulling an unresponsive driver from a smoking vehicle that burst into flames not long after the rescue. These are just two examples from across the week, but this extraordinary work and bravery happens every single day, 365 days a year across the length and breadth of our country.
It is paramount that police are suitably rewarded financially for their efforts in protecting and serving the public in all situations. Currently morale is at rock bottom amongst the rank-and-file and thousands of police officers tell us in our annual Pay and Morale Survey that they are planning to leave the service as soon as possible or within the next two years, with reasons including unfair pay.
Current attrition rates are concerning
We cannot stress enough; this is not just all talk. According to official data, the leaver rate for police officer voluntary resignations in the year ending 31 March 2024, at 3.4 per cent, is the highest rate on record. The Home Office statistics reflect what police officers are telling us year on year and the Government cannot ignore this any longer.
The underlying problem is a broken and unfit-for-purpose pay mechanism that does not allow for negotiation and binding arbitration, only the imposition of a fixed-pay award.
In our recent poll, 98 per cent of officers supported the Federation’s call for a return to collective bargaining with binding arbitration on all parties, including government.
The Government has made very clear its current policing priority is taking back our streets, through investment in extra neighbourhood police officers, to drive down the crimes blighting our local communities, including anti-social behaviour and shocking levels of shoplifting. In its own words, “victims are being let down”.
The only way to achieve this is through a sustained recruitment-and-retention programme. But I am concerned with the current track record in attrition rates, it seems unattainable.
We have offered the Government to work with us to reverse this damage, to stop more record-breaking statistics in crime and police officers exiting in droves, by committing to reinstating a pay mechanism which is devoid of flaws and unfairness.
Tiff Lynch is acting chairwoman of the Police Federation of England and Wales