One in five police 'plan on quitting'

OFFICERS BLAME 'POOR MORALE AND PAY'

- CARL EVE

A SURVEY by the organisation which represents rank and file police officers has found nearly one in five plan on quitting within next two years over poor morale and pay.

The Police Federation of England and Wales (PFEW) said its Pay and Morale Survey found 18% of officers were so disillusioned over 'unfair' pay that they were planning on handing in their resignations very soon, or within the next two years.

The survey revealed officers were suffering severe struggles and a sense of deepening frustration with the Government for continuously failing to assist. The most frequently cited reasons respondents gave for intending to quit were morale (98%), how the police are treated by the Government (96%) and pay (95%).

The vast majority (83%) of police officers disclosed they are 'dissatisfied' or 'very dissatisfied' with their overall remuneration including basic pay and allowances while nearly one in five (19%) of respondents reported 'never' or 'almost never having enough money to cover all their essentials.