The starting salary for police constables is being cut by £4,000 to £19,000, the home secretary has confirmed.

Can see this being popular!

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-21027176

That’s not much more than I earned when I graduated from Uni 16 years ago. Do they want recruits?

I started on £14k in 1992, which was quite good back then, although BA was starting graduates on £20k, which was top whack at the time.

As much as I find the police union(s) constant complaining annoying this really irks me. Yet again the newer, younger recruits get hit with the cuts and will have to pay for everyone else’s nice big public sector pensions while getting paid much less in real terms and having to contribute much more for their own pensions.

Graduate starting salaries seem to have dropped in real terms a bit over the last couple of years (excluding Oil and financial services). When I was looking £16,500 – £22,000 was the norm.

Thats still about £8000 more than my wife earns for a full time job in the public sector. A job that she’s been doing 10 years, required 3 years college and puts her in the line of danger every day (without the uniform to protect her).

V good for a A-level education standard though.

Will they still get final salary pensions after 30 years (IIRC) in the force though? If so, that’s got to be a big consideration.

Well the MP’s payrise has to come from somewhere!

it would be more sensible to obtain a clear and full definition of the benefits package and compare at that level:

– housing allowance ?
– free travel ?
– pension ?
– overtime rates
– hours
etc etc salary is only part of the deal

Will they still get final salary pensions after 30 years (IIRC) in the force though? If so, that’s got to be a big consideration.

No.
This ended with the last round of changes in 2007.

Do they want recruits?

Apparently not… There’s been no recruitment for a long time it seems. 😐

It would also be more sensible to quote the full article including comments why the (full!) proposals may well be popular – unless the reason was purely to troll?

Police officers don’t get housing allowance and haven’t for years. They don’t get free travel unless arranged locally but in my force we only get free travel if on duty in uniform.
Pension has significantly changed have to pay 13.1% in and work for 35 years to get an average final.
hours are insane ….. don’t even get me started on that one!
yes there is over time, but hey what’s that got to do with it? often have to work it when you don’t want to.

So put simply IMO it’s disgraceful the salary drop.

No.
This ended with the last round of changes in 2007.

Fair enough – it was a genuine question. When I was a 16 yr old it was either a life in Plod or College to do an art degree – part of me sometimes wishes I had done the former – I would be just a couple of years away from retiring now (like my cousin who is really enjoying his early 50s without needing to work).

The violins are out.

This is how capitalism works. There are more than 2.5 million unemployed out there. And the economy is completely ****ed!!! When you’re living on £71 a week, then a 19k starting salary looks pretty damn good!! Actually, as a starting salary it is quite good! Better than most! They’ll have no problem recruiting at all.

And they’ll need all those extra coppers in the summer, when we’re officially into a triple dip recession and the cuts really begin to bite. All while Dave and Chums are figuring out more ways to give their rich friends more tax breaks. No bread and circuses as a distraction this year remember.

No housing allowance.
Free travel is something offered by local travel companies. In some areas there is some, in other areas none.
Pension – too complicated for a single post but nowhere near as good as the urban myths.
Overtime at time and a third after the first 30 mins which is unpaid.
Hours 40 hours a week on a 24 hour pattern.

In the long run its still a great career to have

yeah but the salary goes up every year, not every job gets that. Even if the pension isn’t as good as it was I understand from my brother in law, who’s a DC, that it still spanks any private and most other public sector pensions.
Also, coppers get free rail travel on any service apart from virgin (have you seen the price of train tickets) imagine free travel from lands end to john o groats. They also get lots of perks like free meals at local cafes, the use of day glo vests and the right to grow an awful moustache. 🙂

“Acpo was concerned about the starting salaries range proposed and the outcome of these negotiations means that chief constables will now have the flexibility to pay a starting salary of up to £22,000 depending on skills and qualifications. Officers can also reach the top rate of pay three years earlier than under the current arrangements.”

Not all bad news then?

It used to be a fantastic career to have
It is now a terrible career to have, I retire in 234 days 6 hours 10 minutes

It would also be more sensible to quote the full article including comments why the (full!) proposals may well be popular – unless the reason was purely to troll?

There is a hyper-link to the full article in the 1st post – you just have to click the mouse on it…….

Jekyll
Coppers don’t get free travel on any train except virgin.
G.m.p don’t even get free travel within g.m.p, not that I would want it

How old will you be?

I’ll be stocking up on these:

and manning the barricades to keep the rabble out. No unemployed scrote is taking my workshop whilst I still have breath in my body!

Not a copper, but they do compulsory overtime up my way, extra hour on the weekend shifts as a starter. Been a very long time since they got housing and also they are paying off as many seniors as they can, not recruiting or promoting. Case in point; My mate needs a knee op but is putting it off as he is worried they will do everything they can to retire him on medical grounds as he has been in 28 years.As it is he knows he will be binned as soon as he hits 30 years as it is money NOT experience that counts.In your local town you would be suprised at the rank of the officer in charge on a Saturday afternoon football match(and not in a good way)

Is it really that terrible? My 3 Friends who are in the police think its great, all in their 20’s, Not saying its easy btw, but they are glad to have a positive career path!

Druidh
I’ll be 53, but feel like 63 with all the shit I’ve dealt with over the last 30 years
And I mean proper shit, murdered children etc
Really screws with your head
Would I do it again, probably not if I’m honest

how does the good old carry on about police (and public sector) pay being the same (? presumably London weighting) in all areas, so in some areas they are very well paid indeed but in the higher cost areas no so ?

“Police officers may receive a housing allowance, take early retirement, and a pension package which is better than most public sector workers, he says” – being blunt here anybody still on a salary based scheme should be very relieved on being so.

edit

Is it really that terrible? My 3 Friends who are in the police think its great, all in their 20’s, Not saying its easy btw, but they are glad to have a positive career path!

Agree.. know a few police officers and they all love the job.

I’ll be 53, but feel like 63 with all the shit I’ve dealt with over the last 30 years

Still, the rest of us will have had our own shit to deal with. Yes?

And we don’t get to retire with a comfortable pension at 53.

Seems having read the article it’s not really the full story, what a shock, it would seem they want it changed for hose without experience to be paid less than those with. It also mentions that you will progress through the pay scale quicker too. It’s not the job it once was so much has changed, pensions, perks, hours and conditions.

Thats still about £8000 more than my wife earns for a full time job in the public sector. A job that she’s been doing 10 years, required 3 years college and puts her in the line of danger every day (without the uniform to protect her)

Full time for 10 years and still on £11k? I’m intrigued what does she do?

And we don’t get to retire with a comfortable pension at 53.

druidh did 😀

And we don’t get to retire with a comfortable pension at 53.

Yeah but did you take a job that offered that at the time or did do something else?

Twice!!!

40 hours a week, for 11k. Thats well below minimum wage.
5.50 an hour.

Full time for 10 years and still on £11k? I’m intrigued what does she do?

Minimum wage for a 37 hour week is £11,910…

Minimum wage for a 37 hour week is £11,910…

Thanks, not sure that answered my question though.

dangerousbeans » > And we don’t get to retire with a comfortable pension at 53.
druidh did

Twice!!!

lol