Police officers deserve a bonus payment as ‘thank you’ for their hard work throughout the pandemic

POLICE officers deserve a pay rise to acknowledge their hard work throughout the Covid-19 crisis, South Yorkshire Police Federation has said.

The Police Federation of England and Wales has asked the Police Remuneration Review Body to award officers a ‘bonus payment’ as a ‘thank you’ to officers over the past year, after it emerged that police officer pay would be frozen in 2021.

Rises have been temporarily paused across the public sector as the Government assesses the impact of the Covid crisis. The Police Federation of England and Wales had asked for a 3% pay rise and a special award in thanks for officers’ hard work policing the pandemic.

Steve Kent, South Yorkshire Police Federation Chair, said: “The review submission acknowledges we should be getting a pay rise and we’ve asked for that. There should not be a pay freeze to deal with this, which paves the way for future pay freezes going forward no doubt when the Covid bill starts coming in.

“This could repair some of that damage and it would have to be for all police officers. You couldn’t make it divisive and say it is just for officers in certain roles. In some way or other all police officers have been affected by Covid and have had to work under difficult conditions. A bonus would repair some of the damage.

“It would psychologically be a real bonus to officers that they get recognised in this way. I’m cynical as to whether it will happen but I would definitely encourage and back that campaign to get that confirmed payment.”

Steve said a bonus would be a welcome gesture at a time when officers, who have worked incredibly hard, have been generally left out of public sector praise.

He added: “It’s been very rare that police are quoted or specifically singled out as people who have been right at the front line of this. A bonus would, I think, have a positive effect. Is it enough? Probably not. But it would be a step in the right direction.”