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Met sergeant doubled pay with £52,000 overtime
Rashid Razaq18 May 2009
A Met Police sergeant claimed almost £52,000 in overtime, more than doubling his salary, according to police pay figures.
The total overtime bill for the 43 police forces in England and Wales came to £485 million in total last year, it was revealed.
London officers claimed among the highest amounts for working extra hours, with the top-earning constable adding £42,506 to his £37,830 salary.
The Met Police sergeant's £51,942 overtime claim took his £42,240 salary to £94,182 in total - equivalent to the pay of an Assistant Chief Constable in a non-Metropolitan police force.
The figures obtained under the Freedom of Information Act show the highest paid detective sergeant at Scotland Yard received £49,524 in overtime while the most paid to a detective constable was £40,385.
Both officers are believed to have been working in undercover or anti-terrorist operations, which require many additional hours.
The Royal Protection, Parliament and CO19 armed police traditionally accrue the most hours.
Met officers claimed £4,240 on average. Only constables and sergeants are paid overtime, which must be approved by senior officers.
Overtime pay is set at time and a third, but officers get double time for Bank Holidays.
Major operations such as the policing of the G20 protests and President Barack Obama's visit have contributed significantly to the bill.
A Met Police spokesperson said: “Overtime is only called upon when it is essential to maintain operational effectiveness.”
Reader views (18)
I think it is time to outsource policing to the Polish community which would bring down the overtime budget. If this is not possible, perhaps bringing in Canadians, Australians or New Zealanders on work permits.
- Neil Hampshire, Exeter, UK, 25/08/2009 05:34
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THERE WILL BE EVEN MORE OVERTIME COMING UP SOON OVER THE EXPESES SCANDAL THE COPPER MIGHT TREBLE HIS MONEY I DONT MIND THIS KIND OF OVERTIME TO BRING ALL THESE MONEY GRABBERS TO BOOK,
- Jim Fennessey, london, 18/05/2009 22:34
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I must say that I (along with a few others) seem to have missed the point of the story here. If the officer concerned was on an undercover assignment then he could not have been replaced by another officer. There is no suggestion that any of these officers has claimed unnecessary overtime so what is the point of the article?
- Ashiq, London, UK, 18/05/2009 22:13
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The massive overtime payments mentioned in this non-story are paid only to a tiny minority of specialist officers, who are clearly too few in number.
Of course the Police should be paid overtime.
It must be remembered that Police officers cannot simply walk away from incidents at clocking off time, unlike the majority of other workers.
Police forces also have to be able to respond to fluctuating manning level requirements in response to events and incidents that do not justify the permanent establishment of more officers.
- Keith Lonsdale, Doncaster, 18/05/2009 16:48
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It seems he was required to do the overtime as part of his duty, in which case, what's the problem?
He was working undercover in an anti-terrorist operation, (I imagine a very specialised and uncommon role) so would we rather he 'clocked-off' early, or simply expect him to work for free?
The article stated that only the lower ranks get paid for overtime and this was the highest paid in the country, so I don't see it as a major issue.
As others here have said: If you want less police overtime, hire more policemen!
- John, London, 18/05/2009 16:29
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We could have employed another sargeant, got another full time copper and saved money. What's going on?
Mind you the filth always did screw a fortune in overtime. Just another bunch of pigs with their snout in the trough, (pun intended).
- Anon, Purley, 18/05/2009 16:03
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Whilst I appreciate we must have correct numbers of Police for additional security at Global Managed events -(Foreign Dignitory's visits, protest marches etc)- the levels of paid over time is extortianate especially in comparison to our Armed Forces who do equal or greater working hours and get nowhere near the basic salaries or opportunity for overtime. Surely, as in any basic business, one should reduce Police overtime in place of regular additional officers available all year round.
- Edd, Wolverhampton - West Midlands, 18/05/2009 15:51
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MPs draw 64 thousand wiyh no requirement to turn up ! tho Brown did suggest attendance fee as a top up.Pop into the Fees Office and double your salary with no proof of expenditure.
Police overtime seems good value for money.
- P Doff, filey uk, 18/05/2009 13:52
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Why dont we just employ more police officers, or better still get those stuck in offices filling out bits of paper out on the streets?
- Brian, Wiltshire, 18/05/2009 12:38
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I am not sure what the point of this article is. Police get paid? Police get paid overtime? Too much overtime? There isn't really a story here...
- Ben, W1, London, 18/05/2009 12:24
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This article clearly highlights the lack of officers and the overtime that has to be put in by some just to keep our systems going.
It is difficult to get quality officers into key positions when many have arrived their because of the politically motivated quick promotion schemes.
- Frank, Home Counties, England., 18/05/2009 11:41
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Oh my god! I would have to work 4 1/2 years to get that amount.
- C Cusano, Bedford, 18/05/2009 11:41
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Was he working at The House of Frauds (sorry Lords) at the time?
- Mike, London England, 18/05/2009 11:39
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just another body to rape & plunder the UK then retire abroad nothing new
- Basil, bussiere poitevine 87320 france, 18/05/2009 11:09
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Having lived in most of the major U.S cities on the West Coast I can tell you that here in the U.K. I hear more sirens than in any of those cities day or night.Is every call a lifesaving emergency?
- E.Reed, Bournemouth,UK, 18/05/2009 09:45
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This article seems to make out that paying overtime is wrong?
- Not Exactly A Looney Lefty!, The real world, 18/05/2009 09:07
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Now we know why the police are so supportive of the right of the public to demonstrate.
- Bloke, London, 18/05/2009 09:05
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I wonder how much of that overtime is spent dealing with habitual criminals and repeat offenders who should be behind bars, bringing up the children of the slum-dwelling underclass because they can't be arsed to do it themselves and filling in endless forms to satisfy Soviet Labour's lust for bureaucracy and statistical information?
How much of that overtime could be saved if there were more uniformed officers on the streets and less polishing their trouser seats in offices?
There are a lot of cops out there doing a good job, in spite of their political correctness obsessed leadership, but there are also an awful lot who do little other than making the queue in the canteen longer.
- Rodney Stonmeister, UK, 18/05/2009 08:57
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