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Figures show big police overtime claims
17.08.09
Many police constables are earning more than their bosses by boosting their wages with large overtime claims, it was reported today.
More than 12,000 PCs in 35 of the 51 forces in England, Scotland and Wales claimed more than £6,000 each in overtime last year - a rise of 20% on their salaries.
The figures, released in response to a Freedom of Information request by The Independent, found that in some cases PCs were more than doubling their annual pay through overtime, with many earning more than their chief inspectors and superintendents.
Officers in some rural forces raked in more than £25,000 in overtime while nearly 500 topped up their salaries with more than £15,000.
The starting salary of a PC in forces outside London last year was £22,105, rising to a maximum of £34,706 after 11 years' service.
Those in the Metropolitan Police are given a "London weighting" of about £8,000 and can earn a maximum of around £42,000.
One unidentified constable in the Metropolitan Police was paid more than £100,000 after doubling his salary with overtime, according to separate figures released by the force earlier this month.
The Metropolitan Police declined to identify where the officer worked, but those involved in Royal protection overseas are traditionally among the top earners.
Met officers earned the most in overtime of any force, with a total of 2,296 PCs taking home between £50,000 and £60,000 a year; 339 more than £60,000; 53 more than £70,000 and 12 over £80,000 - at least £38,000 more than their salaries.
To double their incomes PCs on a 40-hour week would have to work at least 60, possibly 70, hours.
Chairman of the Home Affairs Select Committee, Keith Vaz, said working this much overtime raised questions about an officer's ability to do his or her job effectively.
He said: "My overriding concern is with the safety of allowing police officers to work such a vast amount of overtime.
"Police officers need to be alert and I do not believe that an officer working enough hours to warrant an almost doubling of their salary can be properly effective.
"The use of overtime within the police force can be beneficial and cost effective when considering the wider financial impact of employing and training new officers.
"Yet, there is a definite limit to which overtime should be relied upon. Those forces in which the use of overtime is extensive should seek to increase their recruitment numbers."
Simon Reed, vice chairman of the Police Federation, which represents police constables, said: "Overtime can be quite an efficient way of fulfilling shortfalls in resources.
"There are some officers who do very little, but clearly there are others who are doing quite a lot. When you get officers doing excessive amounts of overtime, it suggests to me that the department is understaffed.
"People will no doubt think that these figures make officers look greedy, but you will probably find that in many cases the officers are being directed to do this and may not actually want to. Rather than volunteering, they are being coerced by their line managers."
He added: "Officers earning nothing in overtime will look at these figures and think 'I would like that kind of money' but they have to realise that that person is spending a lot of time at work. Most officers realise this and they would rather be at home. I do not think you will find a lot of officers being jealous."
Reader views (8)
Keith Vaz is a total waste of time. He's only interested in scoring political points, usually to the detriment of any actual progress.
I support the police, and I think if they put the hours in they deserve the cash. Vaz is not concerned about their ability to do the job, if that were the case he'd be working to free them of all the pointless paperwork. He's concerned because a) earning more than someone else is a sin in the Labour big book of inclusivity and equality, regardless of how hard they work for that cash. b) they are public sector workers which means the government have to find the cash somewhere.
Here's an example of where they find it. Someone who works two or even three jobs and goes through the correct channels regarding tax gets totally shafted on earnings at the second and third jobs, meaning they have to work even longer hours just to make ends meet. Makes you proud to be British.
- Ian, london
i assume most of you commenting on here are serving police officers and know all about how the police operate and how they work 24/7 to protect people and their property just to get abused by the media and public 24/7??
no? thought so. instead of moaning how about volunteering to be a special and see what really happens.
- Sense, LONDON
Good fiscal management in the public sector - paid for by us!!
- Very Very Angry At Paying Tax For Mp'S Expeses, Home Counties
Most of the overtime payments are accrued by 'Spanish Practices' which weak management in the Met has failed to deal with over the last two decades. The main 'fiddle' is cancelling a rest day with less than 5 days notice (thereby attracting double or triple time payyments and 'minimum compensation' i.e. work for 1 hour and get paid for four!). The officer then re-rosters the cancelled day to another date when he knows that it is likely to be cancelled again, such as when the local football team are playing at home. Simple, it's money for jam.
I hope that they are banking the money however, because the days of wine and roses are about to come to an end as a 10% reduction in funding hits the Police in 2010/2011. You'll have to find another way to pay for the next holiday in Florida!
- Exmetboroughcommander, London
Reuben - I've seen many police on the streets, in London, and more recently Glasgow. I've cerainly seen more in the last 3 years than previously. Perhaps, if you want to see some police, you should hire some officers to patrol your self-declared Republic (which I'm guessing is your house and garden).
If the police want to earn more money doing overtime, fair game to them. Certainly beats where I once worked where they didn't let you claim overtime until you'd worked 4 extra hours for nothing.
- Jock, London
Need the overtime to complete the useless paperwork to keep the stats up for seniors bonuses and MP's rehtoric.
- Janet, London, England
There's nothing concerning with this if you look at the facts. These people who are earning the big numbers are usually those with particular (typically expensive) levels of training. It's cheaper to pay someone to do more hours than train additional people over a period that can take years. Non story!
- H Morgan, London
I last saw a police officer at street level over 3 years ago.
The police are not visible on the street working their normal hours.
THE POLICE ARE STILL NOT VISIBLE ON THE STREET WHEN THEY ARE CLOCKING UP UNTOLD HOURS ON OVERTIME.
I am still trying to work out a) WHAT DO POLICE OFFICERS DO DURING THEIR NORMAL HOURS? and b)WHAT DO POLICE OFFICERS DO TO JUSTIFY THEIR OUTRAGEOUS OVERTIME PAYMENTS?
There is surely a limit as to how many times you need to sit in a police station drinking tea and ticking boxes.
- Reuben Camara, Republic of Morecambe, UK
