Police Information

NEW ALLOWANCE FOR SOUTH EAST FORCES

Mon, May 21, 2001

Source:

Many police officers in South East England will receive a substantial new allowance

 

Many police officers in South East England will receive a substantial new allowance to help meet the higher costs of living in the region, Home Secretary Jack Straw has announced.

From 1 April this year, officers serving in the Essex, Hertfordshire, Kent, Surrey and Thames Valley forces who were appointed on or after 1 September 1994 will receive an additional £2,000 pa, while officers in the Bedfordshire, Hampshire and Sussex forces will receive an additional £1,000 pa.

Accepting the recent proposal by the Police Negotiating Board to introduce an allowance for officers serving in South East England, Mr Straw committed £7.6 million from Home Office funds to meet 75% of the costs, with the forces concerned meeting the remainder.

Mr Straw said:                       

"This is a good deal for forces in the South East, which should help them to both recruit more constables and retain experienced officers, and ensure that officers in these forces can meet the higher costs associated with living in the region.

"The allowance, combined with the unprecedented funding that we are now investing in the police service as a whole, will help ensure that the recent upturn in police numbers is sustained in the South East and across the country."

The allowance will be paid to all new recruits and to officers who joined the forces on or after 1 September 1994 and who are not in receipt housing allowance.

Newly recruited constables in the Essex, Hertfordshire, Kent, Surrey and Thames Valley forces can now expect to receive £19,133 pa, and in the Bedfordshire, Hampshire and Sussex forces £18,133. Constables in the first tier with five years experience can now expect to receive some £24,257, and for those in the second tier, some £23,257.

David Stevens, spokesman for the Association of Chief Police Officers, welcomed the deal: 

"This allowance recognises for the first time the higher costs of living and working in the South East. It will undoubtedly help the forces involved who are working hard to recruit more officers for front line duty." 

Melanie Leech, Executive Director of the Association of Police Authorities said: 

"The Association of Police Authorities welcomes this deal. The extra money will be targeted at those Authorities operating in some of the most demanding recruitment environments. The new allowances will help, but Authorities will continue to explore new and innovative ways of making the police service an even more attractive career option. "

The new allowance follows the increase in July 2000 to the London Allowance paid to new recruits and officers who joined the Metropolitan Police Service and City of London Police on or after 1 September 1994 and who are not in receipt of housing allowance.

The Police Negotiating Board (PNB) is the forum in which bodies representing the police service meet to make recommendations to the Home Secretary on matters relating to police pay and conditions.