Nearly all police feel pay is too low - survey

Nearly all Thames Valley Police (TVP) officers who responded to a national survey said they did not feel fairly paid for the stresses they incur in their job.

The TVP Federation, which represents rank-and-file officers, said 93% of about 660 respondents answered that way in a survey led by the Police Federation of England and Wales.

Aileen O'Connor, who chairs the TVP Federation, said the "most concerning" finding from that was that 27% of officers said they intend to resign from the force within two years.

TVP's deputy chief constable Ben Snuggs said the force takes the findings "seriously and remains committed to supporting our officers and staff".

The federation said 71% of TVP's respondents said they were "too fatigued" to carry out their duties, while nearly half have been attacked by a member of the public in the last year.

O'Connor said the number of people who said they are planning to leave was "worrying", alongside increasing work pressures and tiredness "having [a] greater impact on operational effectiveness".

She said she plans to talk to TVP's chief constable Jason Hogg about the findings.

"It's a priority for me to look at the data around the sheer amount of unnecessary demand that our officers are facing, for example attending non crime-related matters where other authorities or agencies should be the first port of call," she added.

TVP employs about 6,000 police officers and about 4,100 support staff.

Snuggs said that while officers have highlighted difficulties, the force's results "show that our people remain proud to serve the public, committed to their communities and supportive of one another."

He said TVP "will continue to advocate for officer pay that properly recognises the effects of sustained below-inflation settlements, current economic pressures and the unique nature of the policing role."

Snuggs added: "Officer safety remains a top priority, and we are continuing to strengthen the support available to colleagues who experience assault or harassment.

"We are also focused on reducing the impact of workload pressures and fatigue through initiatives that remove unnecessary bureaucracy, improve wellbeing support and give officers more time to focus on serving our communities."