Crime is barely out of the headlines at the moment.
Home Secretary Jacqui Smith says she does not feel safe walking around London on her own at night.
Schools may introduce metal detectors in a bid to cut knife crime after a spate of stabbings involving children.
The Sun newspaper dedicates its front page to the “scourge of feral youths” who are murdering innocent members of the public, such as Garry Newlove.
And in the background to all this is the growing row between the police and the government over pay. The Institute of Public Policy Research think tank has added to the debate by saying the police pay structure should be overhauled.
Officers shouldn’t just get more cash for their length of service, they should be judged on how well they are performing, the IPPR said. Although crime had fallen, detection rates had not improved despite a big increase in funding, it added.
Police say the job is too complicated to bring in performance-related pay, and that many of their vital duties, from tackling terrorism to helping those afflicted by events such as the recent flooding, cannot be quantified.
Should police be judged on their performance, or is the job so dangerous nowadays that they deserve to be a special case? Send us your comments.
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15 comments so far
I think the police do a dangerous and crucially important job in society, and so should be treated as a special case.
They should waive the right to strike because their job is so important, but in return they should be assured of decent pay and conditions.
- Posted by AdrianThe public perception of the police is utterly different to that portrayed by the media, politicians and indeed the police themselves. Whilst we are constantly told the public “wants to see bobbies on the beat” most people’s experience of the police is one of an organisation that is arrogant, self-serving, expensive and, when it wants to be, above the law. To have such an organisation demanding more pay - given the resources thrown at it over the past three decades - is cheeky beyond belief. Lets say so! The police have been in the front line of preventing other workers from obtaining pay increases, indeed they have often acted decisively to defeat workers in struggle. They may have forgotten Orgreave and Wapping, we have not.
It is time to boo a booby!
If you have ever had a bad experience of the police, or simply cannot stand the cheek of people who have smashed other workers campaigners suddenly demanding their ‘rights’……..
Meet at 11.00am junction of Achilles Way and Park Lane, Weds 23rd January 2008. Lets give the Police Federation march a record booing!
- Posted by Dave EThe diversity of roles within the service make it impossible to quantify or even attempt to judge performance. I’m a retired officer who in his final year acheived a glowing appraisal but out of a score of seven, received all fives. When I asked what I couild do to acheive a score of six or seven, was told, no one gets those because that means you qualify for performance related enhancement to your pay, and they won’t pay out. So even if you could find a system which accurately asseses performance, financial managers will effectually cap an officer’s pay.
- Posted by KenIts a terrible thing that happened to Gary Newlove and I feel for his family. However why must the focus always be on the middle and upper classes getting killed? A load more innocent working class people, the type that work in supermarkets and factorys instead of being the managers of businesses like Gary, get killed by knife crime and nothing is said about it. As soon as it happens in the suburbs however it makes the front page. What the lives of people on the estates arent as important?
Also raising the drinking limit is hardly going to change anything as the majority or crimes are commited by those 21+, as anyone who has actually been out on the town in rough areas will be able to tell you.
- Posted by David CarthyBy all means, stop incremental pay as all policemen are not equal in dedication or efficiency. But, much more important, pay a premium for time actually spent on a foot beat. I am told this was done in New York and achieved a transformation in clearing offices and cars, and in producing results. Such beats not only act as a deterrent but also encourage people to chat and know their copper and give him useful intelligence. why ever did we reduce the practice?
- Posted by VINCENTLife is getting cheaper and the Police are helping to make it so. As things stand they are grossly overpaid.
- Posted by William FowlerThis would make them stop you even more , instead of catching criminals and policing properly,
- Posted by TomThere seems to be a perception that public sector workers to not need to concern about the affordability of pay increases. In the private sector there is no such perception. Add to this that any increase is paid through tax, the action could thus result in further sufferring to the private sector worker.
Lets be clear, we operate in a free market place for jobs, as with any worker, both private and public sector, if you cannot reconcile the position, you should reconsider your career. It may sound difficult, but it is little difference to wht the Rover workers have coped with so finely and what is happening in the manufacturing industry generally.
As for efficiency, the paperwork being created is silly, which calls for more (what should be unnecessary) police headcounts. We already have Special Constables and add to this the general workforce, we should be looking at improvements in performance and efficiency at grass roots, which will result in increased performance and reduced numbers, thus making the business more efficient, reducing overall costs and thus improving profitability and thus pay opportunities. The government should not be seen as a political target to drain money from, it is an employer, the taxpeyers are the shareholders, we should treat the police force as a business and expect improvements in performance in response to increased pay.
- Posted by PhilipLet’s get the MPs to sign first for a pay based on their own performance instead of granting themselves with unwarranted, above inflation, pay rise.
- Posted by J. KergoatNo, I do not think they should get any more special perks. OK, some have been killed in the course of their duties, sad, yet a reality, but so have the forces personnel. They retire early get a damn good pension and are young enough to get further employment. So they are not allowed to strike, so what, can our troops strike! They knew the requirements and no-one screwed their arm, if they don’t like the job, leave and let some-one do it who really wants too.
- Posted by Denis WaltonMost policemen and women.. are office workers in a uniform sitting infront of a computer. The policemen and women at the sharp end doing a hard unrewarding job is a small number. Pay those at the sharp end for their difficult job for the rest pay them in line with office workers.
- Posted by Roger LeesNo, the police should not be paid any more, for the amount of time they spend on duty they are already overpaid. They spend too uch time in the office pushing paper. After qualifying they receive automatic pay increases for several years irrespective of justification. In isolated instances there is danger but generally it is a doddle of a job. They know the implications of the work before they apply, they have made their bed now they should lay on it, if not get out and spend less time hounding the easy target of motorists and concentrate on the harder target of apprehending criminals.
- Posted by RodneyThe question shouldn’t be “do the police do enough for their pay?” but “do we allow the police to do enough for their pay?” We are told that the amount of time they spend filling in forms is ridiculous - let’s allow them to do their job before wittering on about who spends time at a computer…
- Posted by MatthewPolice officers that I know would love to get out and ‘in amongst’ the people who cause problems in society. They know who they are.
- Posted by AndyIts a real shame that society doesnt let them get on and do that, instead imposing stupid targets which mean that the police have to pick the easy targets or risk losing pay and or be disciplined.
This country has become a joke and I look forward to leaving it in the not too distant future.
Take the shackles off and let the Police get on with it !
Sure they do.
But the encrouchment of the Community Officers and their higher pay award is absurd.
If we wanted a police state then Community Officers, with their personla like, dislikes and generally partial attitudes, are the first sign.
- Posted by Keith M Warwick