Morale Crisis Sees A Record 9,200 Police Quit In One Year

POLICING will suffer years of "boom and bust" unless radical steps are taken to arrest growing dissatisfaction among officers, it has been claimed.

- Giles Sheldrick

Morale has slumped and respect for frontline officers is said to be running at an all-time low.

Amid the crisis 9,192 officers quit 43 forces in England and Wales in the 12 months to March the most in a financial year since comparable records began.

That comes after ministers trumpeted the success of a three-year uplift programme to recruit 20,000 officers, taking total police numbers to 147,430.

Police Federation chair Steve Hartshorn said: "Half will be retirements and half resignations.

Struggle

"So if that trend continues at its current trajectory it's going to mean an uplift every single year.