I have to say, this job is all peaks and troughs but I am seriously considering leaving at the moment. The past week has been almost entirely donkey work and chasing ridiculous complaints by members of the public with no real criminal substance.

I have repeatedly found myself doing tasks and work that is in no way police orientated, and makes one feel like a trained monkey rather than proud of our role.

I am a History graduate from a good Unversity and at the moment feel completely undervalued and craving some work of substance to use my skills properly and investigate REAL crime- What I joined for.

To cap it all, I am absolutely appalled the Government has dishonoured the annual pay rise. Even a 3% it is barely keeping pace with inflation anyway. This is such a kick in the teeth.

How can the police service expect to recruit and retain people of any calibre when they treat their employees with such contempt? Discretion has all but been done away with and we are not trusted to use our judgement in almost any situation. Our pay for the responsibility and role we have is insufficient.

No, I think I've finally seen the light- A year or two to do a law conversion course and I could be working on the other side of the Criminal Justice system, earning my true potential and actually feeling as if I'm allowed to use my talents.

Apologies for the rant but I am SO hacked off with working life in general at the moment...

Perhaps consideration for a little police 'industrial action' aussie style.

Police officers are implementing work bans which include no unpaid overtime, no more single officer patrols and a more visible presence at speed camera sites.

The campaign is expected to slow down response times for minor offences by up to 20 minutes.  

Seems funny that this pay wrangling is happening at a time when the policing 'family' is more fragmented than I can ever remember, Fed, CPA, GPA, BPA, BAWP the list goes on and on..... We need a united front on this.

Carrotchomper - Looking at the way that the Job is going, and is likely to go - I would say go for it!  Good Luck!

Truncheon - The first time Officers strike will be the last time that you will get a wide public support! You have but one option, use the Electorate to your advantage.  Say what you want and why - justify it with figures and action.   Attend all the calls that you are sent to.....not as has been evident recently!  The Public will not pay for a Police Service that they do not get - who evers fault that is!

There is nothing to stop you demonstrating!  Both the Fire Service and Ambulance Service have had strikes, and whilst they may have got what they wanted in the short term - in the long term they lost!  Don't forget that there have been about three or more Royal Commissions on pay and conditions. 

I work an average of 40 hours per month O/T and have 20 years in with rent allowance ssp etc I should earn 40K this year. I think thats fairly good money if I am crafty with my leave I can have 4 fortnites off per year plus I retire at the age of 51.

Not bad for a job I can do stood on my head I came off CID because of the days off we work 6 on 4 off CID do 5 on 2 off.

I do get some enqs and crimes but spend most of my time showing the younger ones what to do, driving the van( no one else has a D1 never mind a van permit) or unofficially acting up.

I know pay and conditions have gone down the tubes for new recruits but being selfish I wouldn't entertain industrial action of any sort.

If I look around me at my 'civi' friends they have crap jobs, crap prospects with crap pay and to top it all will have to work beyong 65 how things are going.

I personally would never strike, I didn't join this job for the pay, sad as that may sound and accept that everyday I'll be sorting out somebody else's problems. That's what I'm paid to do, I'm not paid just to investigate the 'interesting stuff'.

Sorry, if it bothers you that much go find another job...there's plently waiting to take your place.

It's all worth it just for one little thank you occasionally, and that's from Jo Public, I couldn't care less what any of the rulers of this land say, or don't say for that matter.

Cpt D