- Essex Police Chief Constable urged the government to raise the pay of officers.
- Citing the cost-of-living crisis and 300 coworkers requesting additional jobs.
- Or unpaid employment to advance their careers.
In his statement during a passing out parade, a chief constable urged the government to raise the pay of his officers in Essex.
Ben-Julian Harrington of Essex Police spoke about the cost-of-living crisis that certain employees are experiencing, particularly the officers who have left for higher-paying positions like scaffolding and double glazing.
In the last two years, he claimed, the force’s charitable fund had distributed £248,000.
Real-term salary, according to police federations, has decreased 17% since 2000.
In the past 12 months, 300 coworkers, according to Mr. Harrington, have requested authorization to perform additional jobs or unpaid employment to advance their careers.
“My colleagues are proud,” he said.
“They’re not the kind to complain but someone has to speak up for them and their families.
“You can’t Taser the gas bill and you can’t handcuff the family food shop at Lidl, and you can’t arrest rising mortgage bills.”
At the force’s headquarters in Chelmsford on Friday, 84 new recruits were addressed by Mr. Harrington, who assumed his position in 2018.
To “expose the breadth” of how inflation is affecting officers’ life, Essex Police believes he is the first chief outside of the Met and National Police Chief’s Council.
He referenced the case of:
- A detective with two years experience who was tempted back to her old job selling double glazing on commission
- An officer who could not afford the daily commute so resigned to work in her local family restaurant
- Another officer whose wife became pregnant and could not afford to pay his bills, so resigned to earn £250 a day as a scaffolder
“They’re not complaining because they’re not the kind of people to make a fuss,” Mr. Harrington added.
“How can it be right that you can earn £20,000 more selling Nissans in Romford than working as a PC? Or be a fitness instructor or personal trainer in Epping for the same money as a highly-trained police officer?
“There is still time to fix this and allow policing to get on and invest in the experiences and skills we need in our teams to reduce crime and keep people safe.”
With around 3,800 officers, Essex Police is one of the largest forces per person in England outside of London and has reached its highest level since 2010.
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