Police 2% pay rise was 'punch on the nose', Met chief says

The government refusing to grant a 3 per cent pay rise to the police was a “punch on the nose”, Metropolitan Police Commissioner Cressida Dick has said.

Ms Dick said the decision instead to provide a 2 per cent rise – against recommendations of an independent board – was “extremely disappointing”.

She asserted that she did not want the government to “wait until [police] are struggling like the prison service with chronic understaffing”.

Speaking at the Police Superintendents’ Association annual conference Ms Dick said: “Earlier this year, the Met made the case for a 3 per cent award.

“Our arguments, details and supporting evidence were accepted by the Independent Pay Review Body and we presented it to the government.

“I fully respect the government’s right to make the decision – but on this occasion, the government chose to ignore the recommendations of the review body and chose instead ... to impose the 2 per cent consolidating award.”

The Met Police chief continued: “That feels like 1 per cent to our officers and I am extremely disappointed by that outcome.

“I don’t want to be disrespectful to the political process or the government, but I do feel disappointed by the decision and I will keep on saying so.”

“Meanwhile I need to think, how can I recruit and how can I retain and how can I make my officers and staff feel that I really value them? Because I feel this is a punch on the nose.”

In response to the comments Home Secretary Sajid Javid said the pay rise was a “reflection of trying to strike” a balance.

“I’m not pretending it’s easy. I recognise, and it’s something I recognised early on before I was home secretary, that there is a need for more resources.”

Mr Javid added: “There has been an increase in resources in the last three years but I don’t think it’s enough given the challenges, the complexities and the crimes that you are facing.”

Agencies contributed to this report