7 out of 10 police chiefs take early retirement
Ayrshire’s top police officer has revealed that seven of the division’s ten frontline Inspectors are taking early retirement after changes to pension rules.
Since April, officers have been able to retire after 25 years’service rather than 30 years without their pensions being affected.
They are also able to take a larger proportion of their pensions as a tax free lump sum. This has led to hundreds of senior officers indicating they would take retirement five years early.
The issue was raised with Chief Superintendent Faroque Hussain at a meeting of South Ayrshire Council’s Partnerships Panel recently.
Chief Superinentant Hussain insisted that there would be no reduction in services across Ayrshire. However, he acknowledged the challenge that faced the force.
He said:“It is a reflection of some of the challenges we face across Police Scotland.
“A number of colleagues have decided to take early retirement. Obviously they have accrued a significant amount of experience.”
The Divisional Commanmder gave an example of the situation locally.
He said:“From an Ayrshire perspective, I have ten uniformed inspectors attached to response policing. “Of the ten, seven of them are retiring. “When the seven new replacements come in, we will look to support them as best as we possible can.”
He added that an operation had been set up to manage the high number of retirals to ensure no reduction in delivery for our communities across the country’.
SNP councillor Ian Cochrane said:“I am very happy that there seems to a firm handle on the process.”
Earlier this year the Scottish Police Federation, which represents officers, had warned that officers were“desperate to leave because of low morale and lack of job satisfaction.”