Up to one in five police recruits are dropping out during their probation period, according to police attrition figures obtained by policing news site Police Oracle.
Its investigation revealed that the average attrition rate is 9.1%, or 2,567 leavers out of 28,173 recruits. In one force – Northamptonshire Police – 19.3% have left during their probation period.
The site looked at the number of “uplift” recruits who joined forces as part of the government’s commitment to recruit 20,000 more officers by March 2023. It looked at those recruited from November 2019, and those who left after April 2020.
North Yorkshire and Cambridgeshire forces also had high police attrition rates, at 16.8% and 16.1% respectively. The Metropolitan Police lost 528 officers before probation, or 7.9% of total recruits.
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Cumbria and North Wales each have a rate of just 3.9%, while Merseyside and West Midlands both recorded 5.4%.
Policing union the Police Federation of England and Wales said the data from forces where police attrition was high was “concerning”.
A spokesperson said: “From day one we have said retention is as vital as recruitment. Our members deserve more investment in mental health and wellbeing, better benefits and the most appropriate integrated learning that equips them for the reality of policing.
“It is also paramount our police are paid fairly for the stresses and the hazards they face while protecting the public.”
The PFEW added that the £19,164 starting salary for officers in the first year of a degree apprenticeship to become a constable was “barely above the current national living wage”.
“Additionally, more than one in 10 police officers told us in our most recent survey they are not or almost never able to cover their monthly essentials, while almost half said their pay increased their intention to leave the force.
“Leaders must ensure they do not just focus on getting people through the door, but also do what is needed to keep them by putting their workforce first so policing can continue to provide the best service to the public.”
The PFEW aired concerns in January when Home Office figures showed the uplift programme was just halfway towards meeting its target with just a year to go. Last month, the PFEW called the projected 2% pay rise for police officers this year ‘disgusting’.
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In January, data showed that 11,048 officers had been recruited from funding for the uplift programme.
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