Cops leaving South Yorkshire Police due to stress and pay

The South Yorkshire Police Federation (SYPF) claims that officers are “dealing with unbelievable stress for an absolute pittance”, amid rumours that the Government is planning a pay rise offer of just 3.5 per cent - lower than inflation and representing a real terms pay cut amid soaring inflation and the cost of living crisis.

While policing is one of the few professions where workers are not allowed to go on strike, the lack of a pay rise could have an impact on the quality of policing on our streets, it is claimed.

Statistics show that a record number of officers are leaving the police service in favour of a career in the private sector, the knock on effect of which is that a third of serving officers now have fewer than five years’ experience.

SYPF Chairman, Steve Kent, said: “There needs to be a drastic improvement in police pay. A number of our officers across the force are now exploring other options. They’re not just saying it in the heat of the moment, they’re looking at contingencies about where else they can go and work so they can make ends meet.”

He expressed his concern that a time when trust in the police is low, it’s vital to be improving the standard of policing, not lowering it.

The SYPF revealed that they now have a foodbank set up for officers that is being used with increasing frequency as the cost of living crisis deepens.

The Federation has called for a 17 per cent per cent pay rise, with 15 per cent being seen as necessary to tackle the effects of inflation.

Mr Kent added: “The only way we can address the issues we’re facing is to start properly investing in policing and making the job attractive to the right people, because we want to be competitive. We want to bring in exciting young talent and at the minute that’s not going to be happening when people are coming in and seeing how poor pay is compared to the private sector.”

Mr Kent added: “Despite the negative press that disproportionately targets the tiniest of minorities of bad officers who do appalling things, 99.99 per of our officers put their lives on the line every day, get assaulted with increasing frequency, deal with so much negativity under horrendous stresses. They deserve better for the sacrifices they make and the way for over a decade their pay and conditions have been eroded.”