Federation Chairman says police salaries must be competitive if they are to recruit the best

QUALITY rather than quantity is key when it comes to recruiting new officers to South Yorkshire Police.

Federation Chairman Steve Kent is looking forward to welcoming potentially 1,300 new officers to the force but says they must be made of the right stuff and not just there to make up the numbers.

“Our Chief quite rightly said that he wants 1,300 right officers for the job, and not just picking people because we have to fill the gaps,” he said.

“We still want to attract the right people. So, the issue isn’t going to be attracting people, it’s attracting the right people we want and the people with the right skillsets and experience to come into the job.”

The National Police Chiefs Council has said the starting salary for new officers, set between £19,971 and £23,124 in England, Wales and Northern Ireland needs to be addressed before the promised 20,000 officers arrive, as it could be a barrier to recruitment.

“Salaries, on average, are probably lower up here than they are in other more affluent parts of the country,” Steve said.

“After the initial rush of people coming in I can see us in the position in a year or two’s time where  the numbers might dry up because it’s simply not seen as an attractive salary for people, especially when they’re wanting people with a university background.

“It’s not really competitive and it’s something that’s going to need to be looked at.

“People accelerate through the pay scales quicker than what they used to do. I accept that. But you still need to make it an attractive proposition for people to come into and actually be able to live and survive on the salary that they’re given.”