There’s a reason police officers like to moan..
Discussion
An article some here may be more than happy to nod along to as they read..
https://inews.co.uk/opinion/listen-us-police-offic...
https://inews.co.uk/opinion/listen-us-police-offic...
Edited by Digby on Monday 6th March 23:17
Most officers don't do the job for the money. The money is pretty poor. It's an enjoyable yet very under staffed job. Constantly getting accused on online message boards and across Facebook that we didn't deal with someones stolen bin etc etc but the truth is, we don't have the staff for that.
I think if I retired, I would continue working as a special as the job is interesting. I think more people should sign up as specials to help out their community and see just how difficult Policing is with very little staff. I always see's posts such as"It's easy, why didn't the police do it this way" Well get some boots sign up and make a difference.
I think if I retired, I would continue working as a special as the job is interesting. I think more people should sign up as specials to help out their community and see just how difficult Policing is with very little staff. I always see's posts such as"It's easy, why didn't the police do it this way" Well get some boots sign up and make a difference.
Some people are trying to make a difference.Keep a eye on each other houses.Check on eldery neighbours who live alone.Keep your surrounding area clean.
The problem where I live is some neighbours inconsiderate parking.Roads are very narrow and often people struggle to get out their drive.You only need one family to behave antisocial and a area soon changes into a battle ground.No good relying on the police there aren't enough anyway.If people talked to each other about problems it would save a lot of unnecessary policing.
The problem where I live is some neighbours inconsiderate parking.Roads are very narrow and often people struggle to get out their drive.You only need one family to behave antisocial and a area soon changes into a battle ground.No good relying on the police there aren't enough anyway.If people talked to each other about problems it would save a lot of unnecessary policing.
HantsRat said:
Most officers don't do the job for the money. The money is pretty poor. It's an enjoyable yet very under staffed job. Constantly getting accused on online message boards and across Facebook that we didn't deal with someones stolen bin etc etc but the truth is, we don't have the staff for that.
I think if I retired, I would continue working as a special as the job is interesting. I think more people should sign up as specials to help out their community and see just how difficult Policing is with very little staff. I always see's posts such as"It's easy, why didn't the police do it this way" Well get some boots sign up and make a difference.
I don't think anyone thinks it is easy. But you can't expect to regarded as dedicated professionals worthy of special respect if your are mouthing off all the time. If you feel the need to do that, you aren't the right sort of character to be doing the job in the first place. There is a correct time and a correct way to communicate issues to management. That resignation letter from the lady police person a few days ago was just a highly unprofessional cry from someone who was bored and burned out by her job. It could have been written by anyone in any profession after 10 years. Some people just need a change every now and then. The management never listen, that's a fact of life, be it an MD for an engineering company stamping out widgets or a government minister in charge of a public service. I think if I retired, I would continue working as a special as the job is interesting. I think more people should sign up as specials to help out their community and see just how difficult Policing is with very little staff. I always see's posts such as"It's easy, why didn't the police do it this way" Well get some boots sign up and make a difference.
HantsRat said:
The money is pretty poor.
Considering the average UK salary is 27k I really don't think a salary 10k above that can be considered poor, and that's without taking into account employers pension contributions. I appreciate the starting salary is a lot lower, but reaching top whack is all but guaranteed after 7 years.
Defcon5 said:
HantsRat said:
The money is pretty poor.
Considering the average UK salary is 27k I really don't think a salary 10k above that can be considered poor, and that's without taking into account employers pension contributions. I appreciate the starting salary is a lot lower, but reaching top whack is all but guaranteed after 7 years.
Not intended to be BiB bashing; my little bro is "in", and is equally disillusioned.
But. Story reads like the author has a substantial chip on his shoulder. No doubt a lot of what he says is factually true. But the way he says it, it comes across as very needy, almost a victim.
"Why didn’t the wheels fall off or the shift end in catastrophe? Because we’re police officers and where we can we won’t let it happen. We keep going and make things work. We are a special breed of people that when it’s 5 minutes before you’re due to go home and a call comes over the radio of someone in need, you don’t think “They’ll be fine, someone else will catch that one.” You call up, suck it up and give it your all."
So, like many, many other professions then - which I suspect would be on significantly less than £30k as a starting salary. An infantry soldier, for example, could be on sub-£15k starting salary.
I realise it won't be a popular post. I read the article with an open mind, and came away thinking "what a martyr".
But. Story reads like the author has a substantial chip on his shoulder. No doubt a lot of what he says is factually true. But the way he says it, it comes across as very needy, almost a victim.
"Why didn’t the wheels fall off or the shift end in catastrophe? Because we’re police officers and where we can we won’t let it happen. We keep going and make things work. We are a special breed of people that when it’s 5 minutes before you’re due to go home and a call comes over the radio of someone in need, you don’t think “They’ll be fine, someone else will catch that one.” You call up, suck it up and give it your all."
So, like many, many other professions then - which I suspect would be on significantly less than £30k as a starting salary. An infantry soldier, for example, could be on sub-£15k starting salary.
I realise it won't be a popular post. I read the article with an open mind, and came away thinking "what a martyr".
OpulentBob said:
Not intended to be BiB bashing; my little bro is "in", and is equally disillusioned.
But. Story reads like the author has a substantial chip on his shoulder. No doubt a lot of what he says is factually true. But the way he says it, it comes across as very needy, almost a victim.
"Why didn’t the wheels fall off or the shift end in catastrophe? Because we’re police officers and where we can we won’t let it happen. We keep going and make things work. We are a special breed of people that when it’s 5 minutes before you’re due to go home and a call comes over the radio of someone in need, you don’t think “They’ll be fine, someone else will catch that one.” You call up, suck it up and give it your all."
So, like many, many other professions then - which I suspect would be on significantly less than £30k as a starting salary. An infantry soldier, for example, could be on sub-£15k starting salary.
I realise it won't be a popular post. I read the article with an open mind, and came away thinking "what a martyr".
I agree with you Bob. There is a lot of 'woe me, I'm a hero' in a lot of these blogs and stories. If something happens 5 minutes before the end of a shift in almost any job you'd stay to finish, and often without any extra payment.But. Story reads like the author has a substantial chip on his shoulder. No doubt a lot of what he says is factually true. But the way he says it, it comes across as very needy, almost a victim.
"Why didn’t the wheels fall off or the shift end in catastrophe? Because we’re police officers and where we can we won’t let it happen. We keep going and make things work. We are a special breed of people that when it’s 5 minutes before you’re due to go home and a call comes over the radio of someone in need, you don’t think “They’ll be fine, someone else will catch that one.” You call up, suck it up and give it your all."
So, like many, many other professions then - which I suspect would be on significantly less than £30k as a starting salary. An infantry soldier, for example, could be on sub-£15k starting salary.
I realise it won't be a popular post. I read the article with an open mind, and came away thinking "what a martyr".
It is a shame that things and conditions aren't as good as they once were for officers though, but i can't see there being a u-turn anytime soon.
Edited by Peperami on Tuesday 7th March 16:06
Back in the eighties we had an excellent community Policeman who used to park his car outside the village hall and go for a walk through the locality. He knew all of us and we knew him. It was nice to have an authority figure who was a decent chap that you could actually talk to and would help out if there were any issues. We're not exactly a high crime area anyway but now with cuts to budgets, manpower, time and a massively increased workload we never see anyone from law enforcement anymore, which is a shame.
cologne2792 said:
Back in the eighties we had an excellent community Policeman who used to park his car outside the village hall and go for a walk through the locality. He knew all of us and we knew him. It was nice to have an authority figure who was a decent chap that you could actually talk to and would help out if there were any issues. We're not exactly a high crime area anyway but now with cuts to budgets, manpower, time and a massively increased workload we never see anyone from law enforcement anymore, which is a shame.
There is a loss for policing the area in general, and not just your small bit. The intelligence that came from such officers was invaluable. Some of the reason your area was not high crime might be because he was there. I still maintain Police pay is poor.
Bands
0 - 19,383
1 - 22,443
2 - 23,460
4 - 24,483
5 - 25,503
6 - 27,543
7 - 31,653
8 - 37,254
I'm the lowest paid out of my group of friends at the moment. When you factor in I have to work nights, weekends, Christmas's etc the pay really isn't that great. I come from an IT background and can easily be on 37k+ a year but this job still get's me out of bed and I enjoy it. Getting up to sit at a computer 8 hours a day didn't cut it for me and I got bored.
The pay doesn't bother me but it is IMO poor for such a demanding role with a lot of risk. You have some supervisor shelf stackers earning more than a Police officer. I'm not one to moan about it though as I can always leave and get a better paid job if I like.
Bands
0 - 19,383
1 - 22,443
2 - 23,460
4 - 24,483
5 - 25,503
6 - 27,543
7 - 31,653
8 - 37,254
I'm the lowest paid out of my group of friends at the moment. When you factor in I have to work nights, weekends, Christmas's etc the pay really isn't that great. I come from an IT background and can easily be on 37k+ a year but this job still get's me out of bed and I enjoy it. Getting up to sit at a computer 8 hours a day didn't cut it for me and I got bored.
The pay doesn't bother me but it is IMO poor for such a demanding role with a lot of risk. You have some supervisor shelf stackers earning more than a Police officer. I'm not one to moan about it though as I can always leave and get a better paid job if I like.
Derek Smith said:
cologne2792 said:
Back in the eighties we had an excellent community Policeman who used to park his car outside the village hall and go for a walk through the locality. He knew all of us and we knew him. It was nice to have an authority figure who was a decent chap that you could actually talk to and would help out if there were any issues. We're not exactly a high crime area anyway but now with cuts to budgets, manpower, time and a massively increased workload we never see anyone from law enforcement anymore, which is a shame.
There is a loss for policing the area in general, and not just your small bit. The intelligence that came from such officers was invaluable. Some of the reason your area was not high crime might be because he was there. Cops will generally find something to moan about. When the pay was rubbish (pre Maggie) we moaned. When it was better - we found something else to moan about. Weve been short in the past but not as busy as forces are now plus we had no social media to put our moans across - it just stayed within the job.
Edited by Bigends on Tuesday 7th March 16:50
HantsRat said:
I still maintain Police pay is poor.
Bands
0 - 19,383
1 - 22,443
2 - 23,460
4 - 24,483
5 - 25,503
6 - 27,543
7 - 31,653
8 - 37,254
I'm the lowest paid out of my group of friends at the moment. When you factor in I have to work nights, weekends, Christmas's etc the pay really isn't that great. I come from an IT background and can easily be on 37k+ a year but this job still get's me out of bed and I enjoy it. Getting up to sit at a computer 8 hours a day didn't cut it for me and I got bored.
The pay doesn't bother me but it is IMO poor for such a demanding role with a lot of risk. You have some supervisor shelf stackers earning more than a Police officer. I'm not one to moan about it though as I can always leave and get a better paid job if I like.
I think for what police do they are very underpaid, they deserve more, far more with the abuse and danger that they sometimes get. Is there much overtime?Bands
0 - 19,383
1 - 22,443
2 - 23,460
4 - 24,483
5 - 25,503
6 - 27,543
7 - 31,653
8 - 37,254
I'm the lowest paid out of my group of friends at the moment. When you factor in I have to work nights, weekends, Christmas's etc the pay really isn't that great. I come from an IT background and can easily be on 37k+ a year but this job still get's me out of bed and I enjoy it. Getting up to sit at a computer 8 hours a day didn't cut it for me and I got bored.
The pay doesn't bother me but it is IMO poor for such a demanding role with a lot of risk. You have some supervisor shelf stackers earning more than a Police officer. I'm not one to moan about it though as I can always leave and get a better paid job if I like.
Most public sector pay is too low so you aren't alone.
Is it still notoriously hard to get into the police? When I looked at joining a few years back, it was never clear when they were recruiting.
From speaking to people in the police, I'd tend to agree they do they job because they like it, not because of the money. We don't really see police in my town/village all that often, despite the county HQ being based here. Most are PCSO's, which is surprising considering the relatively high crime rate (theft, rape, occasional murder) of my town.
I'm considering joining before I'm too old (27 now) and wouldn't mind too much taking a paycut. I think the very low starting wage would be a drag though, even if it's only temporary.
From speaking to people in the police, I'd tend to agree they do they job because they like it, not because of the money. We don't really see police in my town/village all that often, despite the county HQ being based here. Most are PCSO's, which is surprising considering the relatively high crime rate (theft, rape, occasional murder) of my town.
I'm considering joining before I'm too old (27 now) and wouldn't mind too much taking a paycut. I think the very low starting wage would be a drag though, even if it's only temporary.
My wife is a police officer. There seems to be a combination of issues which has caused morale to drop through the floor. They are hugely undermanned for what they have to deal with. My wife works a busy coastal town in North Wales, population about 15,000. On Boxing Day, she was the only officer on duty in the town until the late shift came on. No other constables, no sergeant, inspector in control room. She was having to call officers in from other areas to assist. In the past she has been told to take a patrol car out, drive around, come back, change to a different vehicle and drive around again to give the impression of more officers being about than there are,
The number of malingering
s playing the system and either going on long term sickness, or being moved to cushy office jobs which could easily be filled by a civilian is unbelievable. I know you get malingerers in every walk of life, but it's quite astonishing that they are not dealt with. Of course the executive management are terrified of actions being brought against them and risking their own necks, so they quietly move them into a cushy 9-5 to keep them quiet.
The issues they have to deal with has changed dramatically as society has changed. Not a day goes by where she doesn't get called to a "she said this about me on Facebook" incident. Utterly utterly pathetic.
She is more like a social worker than a police officer now. she deals more with domestics than anything else. It more often than not the same routine -
"My boyfriend has hit me"
He gets arrested and denies it
She then won't make a statement and refuses to go to court.
Police try to pursue a prosecution but he gets released due to lack of evidence.
Day after - "my boyfriend has hit me" etc etc etc etc
Utterly utterly pathetic.
The number of malingering
s playing the system and either going on long term sickness, or being moved to cushy office jobs which could easily be filled by a civilian is unbelievable. I know you get malingerers in every walk of life, but it's quite astonishing that they are not dealt with. Of course the executive management are terrified of actions being brought against them and risking their own necks, so they quietly move them into a cushy 9-5 to keep them quiet. The issues they have to deal with has changed dramatically as society has changed. Not a day goes by where she doesn't get called to a "she said this about me on Facebook" incident. Utterly utterly pathetic.
She is more like a social worker than a police officer now. she deals more with domestics than anything else. It more often than not the same routine -
"My boyfriend has hit me"
He gets arrested and denies it
She then won't make a statement and refuses to go to court.
Police try to pursue a prosecution but he gets released due to lack of evidence.
Day after - "my boyfriend has hit me" etc etc etc etc
Utterly utterly pathetic.
anonymous said:
[redacted]
Very good points, and not something I'd considered. (Notwithstanding my post above, which maybe comes across more critical than I originally intended)
ETA In fact Dizeee, all your posts above make me feel quite sad. I hadn't realised it was quite so soul-destroying.
Edited by OpulentBob on Wednesday 8th March 07:55
HantsRat said:
Most officers don't do the job for the money. The money is pretty poor. It's an enjoyable yet very under staffed job. Constantly getting accused on online message boards and across Facebook that we didn't deal with someones stolen bin etc etc but the truth is, we don't have the staff for that.
I think if I retired, I would continue working as a special as the job is interesting. I think more people should sign up as specials to help out their community and see just how difficult Policing is with very little staff. I always see's posts such as"It's easy, why didn't the police do it this way" Well get some boots sign up and make a difference.
HantsI think if I retired, I would continue working as a special as the job is interesting. I think more people should sign up as specials to help out their community and see just how difficult Policing is with very little staff. I always see's posts such as"It's easy, why didn't the police do it this way" Well get some boots sign up and make a difference.
If there ws apost for an old wrinkly to walk the streets and ticket the chav plates we see on here i would be up for it in a shot.( the downside is the chav plate thread will die!!) or give the job to the PCSO
silverfoxcc said:
HantsRat said:
Most officers don't do the job for the money. The money is pretty poor. It's an enjoyable yet very under staffed job. Constantly getting accused on online message boards and across Facebook that we didn't deal with someones stolen bin etc etc but the truth is, we don't have the staff for that.
I think if I retired, I would continue working as a special as the job is interesting. I think more people should sign up as specials to help out their community and see just how difficult Policing is with very little staff. I always see's posts such as"It's easy, why didn't the police do it this way" Well get some boots sign up and make a difference.
HantsI think if I retired, I would continue working as a special as the job is interesting. I think more people should sign up as specials to help out their community and see just how difficult Policing is with very little staff. I always see's posts such as"It's easy, why didn't the police do it this way" Well get some boots sign up and make a difference.
If there ws apost for an old wrinkly to walk the streets and ticket the chav plates we see on here i would be up for it in a shot.( the downside is the chav plate thread will die!!) or give the job to the PCSO
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