POLICE officers in the Avon & Somerset area feel ‘worse off’ financially now than they were five years ago – while almost one-in-five (16%) ‘never’ or ‘almost never’ have enough money to cover essentials, according to a new survey.
And in a blow to bobby numbers in Somerset, many could leave the force as a result – with 18% of Avon & Somerset Police officers who responded to the new poll saying they intend to resign ‘within the next two years’, or ‘as soon as they can’.
The figures come from the 2024 Police Federation of England and Wales (PFEW) Pay and Morale Report, which was published this week, featuring 786 responses from Avon & Somerset officers.
In response, the force said while pay increases are set nationally, it had “acknowledged concerns about workload and welfare” and is working with the PFEW and others to address issues.
Meanwhile, the results show 86% of respondents have seen living cost increases in the previous month, with 56% of officers dissatisfied with their pay.
Although police officers received a 4.75% pay rise in 2024, officer pay has reduced by a fifth since 2010, the federation said.
READ MORE: Crime news from your Somerset Leveller
Nationally, 76% of officers responding to the PFEW survey said their pay does not reflect the dangers they face, while a third struggle to afford essentials such as food, rent, or heating.
Officers are also struggling with low morale and lack of support, the survey found. In Avon & Somerset, 90% of officers said they do not feel respected by the Government, and 55% said they were experiencing low morale.
A total of 70% of respondents from Avon & Somerset Police said they would not recommend joining the police to others.
Tom Gent, secretary of the Avon and Somerset Police Federation, said: “To see that 90% of our colleagues feel morale is low isn’t surprising to me, but we must ensure that our officers who are out there supporting the community are recognised for their hard work.
“I know lots of officers are leaving the service, we’re loosing that experience, it’s really difficult to replace that experience and there’s no doubt that pay is a factor in that.”
He added: “Officers are feeling under pressure, they’re feeling under-resourced, under-equipped, over-worked, and they need support, they need our support, they need Government to ensure they support officers, that officers feel backed by our own organisation and by the national picture, and that they do need to be compensated fairly – we’ve seen pay erode by around 20% over the past few years, we see experienced officers struggling to make ends meet.”
The report also revealed how officers are coming under attack from the public, with 17% having suffered one or more injuries requiring medical attention as a result of work-related violence in the last year.
Only 14% of officers who responded reported having access to double crewing at all times while on duty.
In Avon & Somerset, 69% of respondents said that over the last 12 months, their workload has been ‘too high’ or ‘much too high’, with 5% of officers saying they have ‘never’ or ‘rarely’ been able to take an 11-hour break between shifts in the last 12 months. Almost a third of officers (31%) said they ‘always’ or ‘often’ feel pressured into working long hours.
As a result, 86% of the 786 respondents from Avon and Somerset said they had experienced feelings of stress, low mood, anxiety, or other difficulties with their health and wellbeing over the last 12 months, with 47% saying they find their job ‘very’ or ‘extremely’ stressful.
An Avon & Somerset Police spokesperson said: “Chief officers and senior leaders in Avon and Somerset Police work closely with the local Police Federation branch and have acknowledged concerns about workload and welfare.
“These come against a background of rising demand and increasing complexity of calls on the police service.
“We have drawn together colleagues from across the service to identify the changes which might help to reduce these pressures, so that officers and staff can be there when the public need them.
“Pay and conditions for police officers are negotiated nationally.”
Maybe if they concentrate on their work rather than extra marital affairs there would not be such an issue