Top cops tell Patel: Our PCs deserve better pay

A ROW over police pay deepened yesterday as furious chief constables told Home Secretary Priti Patel their officers ‘deserved better’.

National Police Chiefs Council chairman Martin Hewitt wrote a letter asking the Government to reconsider its pay freeze for officers already earning more than £24,000 a year.

Police representatives last week marched on Downing Street following the announcement and the Police Federation of England and Wales, which represents 130,000 rank and file officers, passed a motion of no confidence in Miss Patel.

In his letter to the Home Secretary, Mr Hewitt argued the latest pay freeze meant officers were paid the equivalent of almost 9 per cent less than in 2010 – equal to a salary reduction of almost £4,000.

He said: ‘There is no question that properly rewarding our incredible people is now a significant issue of concern for chief constables. We simply believe they deserve better and that it is the responsibility of government to address this across the forthcoming spending period.’

Mr Hewitt cited the frontline role police have played during the pandemic.

He also claimed the pay freeze would undermine the Government’s pledge to employ 20,000 new officers as it would be more difficult to retain staff and would create more costs.

A third of voluntary resignations occur in the first 12 months of employment with half in the first two years, Mr Hewitt said.

‘The cost to a force of a new recruit leaving after two years of service is a sunk cost of around £120,000,’ he added.

The Home Office said despite the challenges presented by the pandemic an extra 9,814 officers had been recruited so far – 49 per cent of the target.

A spokesman added: ‘The Home Secretary is proud of the fantastic work our police do every day and she has consistently backed them.’ Miss Patel is expected to make a formal reply to the letter.