One interesting response to my previous post was that I was contacted by a couple of former Met officers informing me that they really “don’t give a shit”. I wasn’t offended, but I was saddened that anybody who devoted the majority, or all, of their working lives to the Met no longer gives a shit. If you fall into that bracket please stop reading now, I really don’t give a shit.
Met Manpower Part 2
Age Groups
The first thing I looked at were the age groups, to see if there was anything that could be learnt there
The first, and possibly most significant, thing that I noticed was a pronounced dip to the red line. This is the 20-24 age group, which may well support the notion the PUP Recruits ARE leaving in disproportionate numbers. The 25-29 year group (black line) which has risen slightly. Bearing in mind that these figures only represent a 12 month period, I would not expect much else.
Length of Service
As for Length of Service,
The one thing that interested me most about this chart is the decline in the number of Officers with less than two years service. Down from 14.5% of the workforce in March last year to 13.2% in February this year. This would be totally in line with the recruits from the Police Uplift Programme leaving before they completed their training. Not a good look for PUP.
Free April Bonus
Finally, I must thank one of my readers for bringing Efficiency spotlight report: The impact of recruitment and retention on the criminal justice system t0 my attention.I can’t claim to have read it from front to back, but I have read much of it and it strikes me as quite a frank and honst document. One that is certain though, is the government can no longer claim to be unaware of the crisis in the Criminal Justice System, or what has caused it.
My favourite paragraphs at the moment are;
The Police
2.1. The Police uplift programme was intended to recruit an additional 20,000 police officers and extra members of police staff during the three years to 31 March 2023. Overall, the police achieved the target, recruiting 20,951 police officers.2.2. While the target was achieved, the scale of such rapid recruitment has risks. The programme increased the number of police officers, but the attrition rate is high in the early years of service.
2.3 The issue of recruiting the right people and encouraging and supporting them to stay in the service therefore needs to be addressed. The reasons for officers leaving needs to be better understood and interventions put in place earlier. Forces need to prioritise workforce retention. Better data and recording will help.
2.4 The lack of detectives is a persistent and long-standing issue. His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services (HMICFRS) have made recommendations to address this, however, the problem remains.
I await the next updates with interest
