Pressures are mounting on the Government to adequately pay officers, as branch chair Nick Munnelly backs strong calls to boost police funding during this year’s spending review.
Tiff Lynch, acting chair of the Police Federation of England and Wales (PFEW) and Nick Smart, president of the Police Superintendents’ Association (PSA), have co-written an article for the Telegraph warning that policing is ‘facing a national emergency’.
Their pair have warned that policing faces a £1.2 billion shortfall, and that forces are ‘forced to shed officers and staff to deliver savings’.
Chancellor Rachel Reeves.
As Chancellor Rachel Reeves prepares for tomorrow’s spending review, they have called for ‘sustained investment in structures, people, and new technology’, saying policing needs:
- A fair, independent pay review system not bound by Treasury limits, nor instructed in what is allowed to consider.
- Immediate action to raise starting salaries, so policing is a viable, long-term career, not a financial sacrifice.
- A long-term funding settlement that reflects genuine investment and allows chief constables to plan.
- Real investment in officer wellbeing, not just words.
- And a commitment to a defining purpose so that the police police, rather than doing the work of other public bodies.
In the article, they write: “When a young constable looks down at their payslip and wonders how they’ll make rent this month, something is deeply wrong.
Spending review
“When experienced detectives walk away from decades of service, broken by the demands placed on them, it’s the police service itself that’s broken.
“When chief inspectors and superintendents – often the most senior officers on duty overnight across entire counties – are battling burnout and crushing stress, it becomes a national emergency.”
Echoing their calls, Nick Munnelly said: “We recognise that police officers aren’t the only ones counting the pennies each month.
“However, policing is like no other job. The Government need to be reminded that our officers face personal risk not just to their safety but to their health as well, they also make personal sacrifices as they accept many restrictions on their private lives, and take on an incredible responsibility to protect the public every day.
Crisis
“A day in the life of any Police officer knows no end, they routinely deal with horrendous circumstances, crisis and trauma and are expected to have the wherewithal to keep going without fault.
“Ultimately, they deserve and should have a salary that truly reflects their role.”
Nick ended by welcoming the joint article from PFEW and PSA and hopes that the Government takes notice when its spending review takes place.
“Real terms pay has been cut by 20 per cent over the last decade. Policing has suffered the consequences of the Government’s cuts for far too long, it’s now time for change,” he said.
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