NPCC backing pay gives unified message, says Federation

THE National Police Chiefs’ Council lead on pay has called for a rise for all police officers.

Francis Habgood, Thames Valley Police’s chief constable, said the Government cannot continue to reject the independent police remuneration review body’s (PRRB) recommendations and that “there needs to be a fair settlement for officers and staff”.

Mr Habgood, who is due to retire in March, said: “I think with all public sectors we’ve got to a point where actually the compounding effect of either zero or one – or recently a two per cent increase – means some of them [officers] are really challenged in terms of their ability to meet the basic costs.”

Steve Kent, South Yorkshire Police Federation Chair, said: “I think everybody, with the exception of the Government, appreciates that cops’ priorities have been squeezed. Obviously officers in the South East of England will be feeling the effects more because of the cost of living, but there are cops that have had minimum pay rises over the last 5 years, the cost of living is rising and it’s coming to the point where officers are really struggling to make ends meet.

“At the end of the day, if the NPCC are backing us for that then it gives a strong, unified message across from the federation and from the chiefs, that we’re all on the same side and we’re all getting concerned with the fact that officers haven’t received a decent pay rise. Ignoring the PRRB recommendations was a slap in the face this year, especially when it was actually Theresa May that made that decision to not give us that pay rise. Unfortunately it does speak volumes and it really does make us feel devalued.”

Steve said that the Federation will continue to fight for fair pay rises for police officers, and that the unified front provided by the NPCC will help their cause.

To see the interview in full, go to: https://www.policeoracle.com/news/police_finance/2018/Nov/19/-there-must-be-a-fair-settlement-for-officers–says-chief_99608.html