A FIFTH of officers plan to leave North Yorkshire Police within two years, or are actively looking for jobs elsewhere, according to an industry survey.
Of the 266 North Yorkshire Police officers who responded to the Police Federation of England and Wales’ pay and morale survey, carried out in September and October last year (2022), 19 per cent said they were planning to leave the force.
About 11 per cent said they intended to resign from the force within the next two years and 8 per cent stated they are already looking for other employment.
Altogether, the rate is more than double that in the previous survey in 2021, when 8 per cent of officers said they were planning to resign.
Nationally, 18 per cent of respondents said they intended to resign within two years or as soon as they could.
Of North Yorkshire Police officers who said they were planning to leave the job, the main reasons cited were their morale (91 per cent) and their pay (85 per cent).
The survey showed 56 per cent of the area's officers said they had a low or very low level of morale - down from 62 per cent in 2021.
Additionally, 94 per cent said they do not feel the government respects them and 72 per cent said they do not feel respected by the public.
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National Police Chiefs’ Council Chair Martin Hewitt said chiefs will “look carefully” at the findings and use them to address the issues raised.
He said that police officers work in an “extremely challenging environment and are frequently exposed to traumatic events” and faced increased pressures during the pandemic, as well as an overall rise in crime when society reopened.
A North Yorkshire Police spokesman added: “In addition to the statement provided by the National Police Chief’s Council, it’s important to note that this survey was completed by a small number of officers at North Yorkshire Police.
“One in five of the 17 per cent of officers who chose to respond expressed a desire to leave policing. This is less than 3.5 per cent of our officers.”
Officers' pay lags behind 2010
On the issue of pay, Mr Hewitt said “officers’ pay lags behind where it stood in 2010, and it is out of step with current rises in the cost of living.”
He called on ministers to fund “meaning and fair pay” for police officers.
“In future years, it is essential that pay awards are fully funded and not only keep pace with inflation but allow officers’ earnings to catch up - recognising the contribution officers have made and continue to make to keeping us all safe,” he said.
A Home Office spokesman said: “We are injecting record funds into policing and giving officers the support, training, and powers they need to crack down on crime.
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“The government remains on track to deliver its pledge to recruit 20,000 police officers by March 2023.
“The overwhelming majority of new recruits recently surveyed report positive job satisfaction and want to remain officers for the rest of their working lives.”
The full report can be read here.
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