'Food for thought' say Police Federation as latest pay and morale survey shows Covid-19 concerns
More than half of Devon and Cornwall police officers surveyed say they wouldn't recommend joining the force to someone else as a career.
Last updated 3rd Dec 2020
Of the almost 700 rank and file officers, who took part in the Police Federation annual pay and morale survey, almost half raised concerns about the PPE they've been given during the crisis.
Two thirds said they were unhappy with their current pay and around one in 10 said they were actively looking for a different job.
The research found:
Respondents and Response Rate
• 696 responses were received from Devon & Cornwall Police, representing a response rate of around 22% (based on July 2020 Home Office figures of officer headcount).
COVID-19
• 44% of respondents from Devon & Cornwall Police said that their force has managed officers well during the COVID-19 crisis.
• 35% of respondents from Devon & Cornwall Police said that they have not received adequate training on the COVID-19 crisis from their force; 34% said that they have received adequate training on the COVID-19 crisis from their force.
• 36% of respondents from Devon & Cornwall Police told us that they have had access to adequate PPE when necessary during the COVID-19 crisis; 47% said that they have not had access to adequate PPE when necessary during the COVID-19 crisis.
20,000 Uplift
• 33% of respondents from Devon & Cornwall Police said that their force will be able to recruit the number of officers they have been allocated for the uplift.
Pay and Remuneration
• 63% of respondents from Devon & Cornwall Police said that they are dissatisfied with their overall remuneration (including basic pay and allowances).
• 33% of respondents from Devon & Cornwall Police reported worrying about the state of their personal finances every day or almost every day.
• 57% of respondents from Devon & Cornwall Police felt that they were worse off financially than they were five years ago.
• 5% of respondents from Devon & Cornwall Police reported never or almost never having enough money to cover all their essentials.
Morale
• 44% of respondents from Devon & Cornwall Police told us that their morale is currently low.
• 71% of respondents from Devon & Cornwall Police felt that morale within the force is currently low.
• 57% of respondents from Devon & Cornwall Police said that they would not recommend joining the police to others.
• 9% of respondents from Devon & Cornwall Police told us that they had an intention to leave the police service either within the next 2 years or as soon as possible.
A police spokesperson said: “There were some challenges faced at the start of the first lockdown with the provision of PPE; this was very much a picture that was reflected nationally and we as a force worked hard with our partners on these matters to ensure the safety of our officers.
“We are not aware of any current or recent issues in relation to our officers having access to suitable PPE, but will always listen to any concerns raised either directly by our operational staff or by the groups that represent them such as the Police Federation.
“The safety of our staff has always been, and remains paramount.”