Hertfordshire police chief urges Government to review latest pay offer
Chief Constable Andy Prophet says the latest offer "falls short" and is "disappointing"
Hertfordshire's Chief Constable is calling on the Government to rethink its latest pay offer, saying it doesn't go far enough and will cause “genuine financial hardship”.
The government announced last Wednesday, 15th July, that officers of all ranks are set a 3.5 per cent pay increase from September 2026.
This figure falls below the recommendations of independent pay review bodies, which advised increases between 3.7 per cent and 3.9 per cent.
The Home Office says it has considered the pay review bodies’ recommendations carefully.
Andy Prophet, Chief Constable for Hertfordshire says officers “deserve the very best levels of pay for the difficult and, at times dangerous, work they do”.
Speaking to Greatest Hits Radio, Prophet said: “They're dealing with some of the most complex investigations imaginable; involving complex online fraud, some of the most evil and wicked offending that we can imagine.
Police officers in the UK have been legally prohibited from going on strike for over a century after the police strikes of 1918 and 1919.
Chief Constable Prophet says this is “why we need to listen to those independent recommendations and stick to them, not undercut them.”
‘Will generate financial hardship’
The police chief has said the latest offer ‘falls short’ and “will generate genuine financial hardship” in some cases, which he finds “really worrying”.
Chief Constable Prophet said: “My officers and staff, like everybody else, have to put food on the table.
“They have bills to pay, gas, electric, cars to run, and it's not a unique case for police officers - the cost of living for us all is going up.”
A Home Office spokesperson said: “The police perform one of the most challenging and important roles in public service.
“Police officers have received real terms increases each year since the general election, recognising the crucial role they play in serving the public.”