2pc police pay rise like ‘punch on nose’

THE Government’s decision to award a 2 per cent pay increase to police was a “punch on the nose” for officers, the Metropolitan Police commissioner has said.

Earlier this year, the independent Police Remuneration Review Body (PRRB) recommended that officers be given a 3 per cent pay rise. But the Government rejected the proposal in a move that Cressida Dick said had left the independent pay review process in “tatters”.

In a speech at the Police Superintendents’ Association annual conference in Leicester, Ms Dick said the move had damaged morale and would have a detrimental impact on police recruitment and retention.

She said: “This is the second year in a row that the Government has rejected the body’s recommendations in favour of a lower reward. It’s wrong in principle because it leaves the PRRB process in tatters and undermines the careful balance that protects officers’ rights.”

She went on: “It is a matter of principle that officers must have confidence in an independent body deciding on their pay. Officers cannot strike, that is quite right. But [the police service] is unlike other front-line workers – other front-line workers can.

“That, in my view, puts an obligation on the Government to respect the carefully developed arguments of the pay body. I feel this is a punch on the nose.” Scotland Yard is currently seeking to recruit an extra 2,000 officers and yesterday announced an initiative aimed at encouraging retired officers to rejoin the police.

A new scheme being rolled out by the country’s largest force, will allow officers who have taken their pensions in the last two years, to return to the force at the same rank and on the same salary they retired on.

It is the first time such an offer has been made and is intended to address a growing recruitment crisis and “chronic skills shortage” within the Met.

Ms Dick told delegates: “I have been concerned at expertise walking out of my service. I am announcing today a new retention opportunity that will open up for police constables to inspectors and higher if there is a chronic skills shortage.”

The scheme will be open to all ranks from constable to inspector and will also apply to any officer who is due to retire in the next three months.

Police officers can currently retire on a full pension after 30 years’ service, but many then return to the force as a civilian staff worker, earning a salary on top of their pension payments.

Under the new scheme, retiring officers will be allowed to take their lump sum, but their pension payments will be held while they continue to draw their salary.