‘Undervalued and neglected’ police say poor wages are affecting morale

DAMNING new figures have shown that Derbyshire police officers have the lowest morale in the country and many worry about money at least several times a week.

A recent survey showed that nearly three quarters of officers surveyed from our county said they had low or very low morale, the worst percentage of 43 police forces in the country.

The constabulary also ranked highly when it came to how many officers felt undervalued and how many would avoid recommending the job to others.

The responses came from 372 officers in Derbyshire, around 20 per cent of the force, as part of the Police Federation of England and Wales’ Pay and Morale Survey released earlier in February.

Tony Wetton, chair of the Derbyshire Police Federation, said that work is under way to improve conditions.

He said: “The survey results come as no surprise to police officers up and down the country and demonstrate just how bad things are for my colleagues at the moment.

“It feels like policing is at breaking point, and it is unforgivable for officers to be scrimping and saving so their families can make ends meet. Police officers have now made it crystal clear that they feel undervalued by this Government, and this negligent attitude towards pay and funding is having a devastating effect on morale and that could impact on the service’s capability for decades to come.

“There is evidently a growing crisis in the wellbeing and mental health of our colleagues, linked to the stresses of the job, the feeling of being under-appreciated by

Government, and diminishing pay packets.

“I urge the Home Secretary and others to work with the Federation to address the crisis through better pay and a new focus on the wellbeing of colleagues.

“Here in Derbyshire we have to recognise that there are also some local issues that have impacted on officer morale to an even greater extent than in other forces.”