Norfolk's Police Federation calling for pay rise that matches inflation
Officers haven't had a pay-rise in 12 years and are calling on the Home Office to offer more than a 2% wage increase
Last updated 22nd Apr 2022
Norfolk's Police Federation is calling for our officers to get a pay rise that matches the rising cost of living- so they can retain and recruit more people.
Those working for our constabulary haven't had a pay-rise in 12 years and are calling on the Home Office to offer more than a 2% wage increase, with inflation hitting 7%.
Andy Symonds is chair of the group. He told us this needs to be tackled as soon as possible: "The longer we leave it the more of an issue this will be and we'll lose both cops at the beginning of their career and also those importantly who have all the skills, knowledge and experience of being a police officer, will leave through the front door.
"Only a few weeks ago four or five colleagues left after 20 years service, off to be a train driver- because they could no longer afford to be a cop".
He went on to say that the current picture means the Government will need to recruit nearly triple it's current target: "We'll see good candidates that want to come to be police officers that will join and leave because they can't afford to be a police officer.
"We've got to meet our uplift targets because we have lost quite a few more than 20 thousand cops.
"We've had retirements, along with people coming up to their retirements as well, so we've got to recruit far more than 20 thousand right across the country.
"We're looking at more like 50,000.
"We're now seeing police officers coming in to see me and saying 'how do I tell the force that I can no long afford to get into work to the station that I've been posted to, which may be 20, 30, 40 miles away - because I can't afford to repair my car, it's failed its MOT and the bill is quite a few hundred pounds.
"That's the impact we're seeing after 10, 11, 12 years of austerity".
He told us he'd like to see a truly independent pay review board: "It's almost akin to turning up to a football match and you're playing against 11 players, but they bring on another 5 players and the referee is on their side as well.
"That's how it feels for police officers in regard to the pay review body. It is unfair and it should in theory be very similar to what the MPs have- they have an independent pay review body."