Rank-and-file officers facing a pay cut in real terms have had enough of empty praise and hollow promises
Last Thursday, the Police Federation passed a vote of no confidence in the home secretary after the announcement that rank-and-file officers in England and Wales would receive a 0% pay increase – a real-terms cut after 18 months on the frontline of the pandemic. On Monday, new figures revealed a mental health crisis plaguing rank-and-file officers. Now, with the announcement of a “crime-beating plan” that offers little support for officers, but plenty of gimmicks with which to pepper political speeches, the relationship between the force and the government is at risk of being severed beyond repair.
The police should not be above criticism; their mistakes have been numerous, and the implications on public trust profound. It is important to acknowledge where policing has failed, and whom it has failed. And I say that not as an armchair pundit, but as a former chief superintendent and a staunch supporter of rank-and-file officers.