It’s the skint blue line for hard-up cops
ONE in 10 police officers cannot afford “everyday essentials” as they struggle on salaries starting at just under £20,000 a year.
And 85% of officers in a poll said they thought they were not fairly paid, given the stress of the job, while 73% found cuts in pay and benefits in the last five years left them worse off.
The Police Federation of England and Wales quizzed 30,000 officers in the pay and morale study.
General Secretary Andy Fittes said the findings made “uncomfortable reading” and policing was in “a critical condition”.
He said: “Officers are struggling. Some are using food vouchers, which is not acceptable for those employed to keep us safe.”