Fri. Mar 29th, 2024

Officers forced to take second jobs

police car with switched on emergency lights

New reports have suggested that Police officers are left with no other option than to take up second jobs due to the ‘insulting’ wage.

The Police Federation said some officers were resorting to food vouchers and welfare schemes, while dealing with “unprecedented” demand, rising violent crime and terrorism.

Almost 8 per cent of the 27,000 members who responded to the association’s annual pay and morale survey said they had taken up a second job, compared with 6 per cent the previous year. The roles officers are taking on included becoming driving instructors, personal trainers or leasing properties.

A further 45 per cent of officers said they worry about finances on a daily basis, 12 per cent said they do not have enough money to cover essentials and 88 per cent do not feel fairly paid.

John Apter, the new chair of the Police Federation of England and Wales, warned that some officers were in “dire straits”.

“Our members are under immense pressure to deliver, with dwindling resources and rising crime, particularly violent crime, leading to a demand for our services that has never been higher,” he said. “All they want is to be adequately paid for the job that they do.

“We know officers are struggling and some have had to resort to food vouchers and other welfare schemes. This clearly cannot be right or acceptable that those employed to keep the public safe cannot make ends meet or put food on tables for their families.”

Three quarters of survey respondents said they were financially worse off than five years ago and only a quarter felt they would be able to get a mortgage on their current salary.

 

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