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stakeholders to build relationships and influence reforms,” said PFEW CEO, Mukund Krishna. “But that can only work if we have a strong national presence advocating for our members. This year, we needed a campaign with ‘teeth’ because it’s not just about fair pay – it’s about valuing, respecting, and retaining police officers. Arguments about affordability will be made, but our position is that the country cannot afford not to value and protect our protectors.”
• 23 per cent of officers plan to leave within the next two years.
THE SCALE OF THE CRISIS The figures from the Federation’s Pay and Morale survey and submission to the Police Pay Review Body are alarming:
• Resignations have soared by 142 per cent since 2018, a trend
• Over £1.13 billion of taxpayer money has already been spent replacing
that could result in the loss of 10,000 experienced officers annually.
• More than 125 assaults on officers are recorded every day.
• Crime recorded per police constable
officers who have left due to poor pay and conditions.
• If this trend continues, the Government will need to recruit 55,000
has increased by 32.6 per cent since 2010.
new officers in the next five years just to maintain current numbers.
These statistics highlight an unsustainable crisis.
THE HUMAN COST OF LOW PAY While numbers are important, the real impact of this crisis is felt daily by officers on the front line. From response officers
“You can’t have safer streets
without enough police, and you can’t have enough police if pay is driving them away.”
handling violent domestic incidents alone due to staff shortages, to detectives overwhelmed by caseloads, to officers using credit cards to stay afloat—these pressures are driving people out of the job. A frontline officer shared: “We are
expected to face down violent criminals, but we can’t afford to feed our families. We take home wages that don’t match the job—and we take home trauma that
no one should have to live with.” “Every officer who leaves because they
can’t afford to stay is a huge loss to the public,” said PFEW Acting National Chair, Tiff Lynch. “You can’t have safer streets without enough police, and you can’t have enough police if pay and conditions are driving them away. We need to stop pretending that policing can survive this exodus of experience. Officers are overworked, underpaid, and under threat. The government must act now.”
THE EMOTIONAL AND PHYSICAL TOLL OF THE JOB Beyond financial strain, officers are facing a growing mental health crisis. Assaults on police officers have risen by nearly 50 per cent since 2018, with more than 125 cases of officer assaults recorded every day. Long
shifts, traumatic incidents, and relentless exposure to crime are pushing officers to the brink. Mental health-related absences in policing are at an all-time high, with officers suffering from PTSD, anxiety, and depression. “When officers are constantly running on empty pockets, struggling to pay their bills, and facing daily danger, it’s no wonder so many are leaving,” said Lynch.
05 | POLICE | APRIL | 2025
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