Norfolk Police Federation handing out food parcels to officers
Rising taxes, pension deductions, along with pay caps and freeze- meaning increasing numbers of our younger cops
A group representing police officers in our county- are handing out food parcels to help our cops deal with soaring costs.
As rising taxes, pension deductions, along with pay caps and freeze- meaning increasing numbers of our younger cops are finding it difficult to make ends meet and are even considering quitting the force altogether.
"Many are saying to me, how do I get into work?"
Andy Symonds is chairman of the Norfolk Police Federation and set up the food bank.
He says cuts and pay freezes are starting to take their toll and means many are struggling to do their job properly:
"The salary when you first join is just over ÂŁ24,000, which when you take into account pension deductions of just over 13% along with tax and national insurance- a cop is taking home around about ÂŁ1,400 a month and when you start to take away natural deductions out of that, rent and mortgage, then they are left with pretty much nothing."
"Many are saying to me, how do I get into work? I'm at a station which is not close to train links or bus stops, difficult to get to- and add onto that the shift work where we are working all different hours and public transport doesn't work during that time either.
"My washing machine is broken and I can't afford to replace it- how do I clean my uniform?"
He says this is likely to have long-term consequences: "Young in-service cops are leaving, the attrition rate is going up- it's hit around 50% in elsewhere in the country.
"It becomes and vicious circle then, and what we don't want to happen is policing becomes a career for the people that live at home with parents, because they can't afford to rent on themselves and they can't afford to have a family.
"That just cannot be right, we need to be an attractive occupation and profession."
"They are not being able to perform properly or to the best of their ability because they are stressed and anxious around how they can even get into work, or how they are going to pay their bills next month or their fridge-freezer or washing machine has gone down.
"Another conversation I've had with an officer, my washing machine is broken and I can't afford to replace it- how do I clean my uniform."