"There's a big number of officers who want to leave"

Friday 03 May 2019

Around one-in-five Police officers say they will no longer be working in the force a year from now, amid workload struggles and budget cuts causing low morale.

The findings, which came in the second States of Jersey Police Association (SOJPA) Wellbeing survey, also showed that most officers would not recommend joining the force to their friends.

The news has prompted President of the SOJPA, James Le Cornu, to issue an urgent call to the government for supportive action.

Pictured: The SOJPA want the government to step in and help resolve some of the issues they're facing.

85% of the Association’s 194 members took part in the survey this year - the majority of which have been in the force between 10 and 14 years. They answered 32 multiple choice questions, as well as two open ones where officers were given the opportunity to share their views in more detail.

The survey showed some signs of improvement on the previous year, with 40% indicating morale had improved – but while around a quarter indicated it had degraded. 57% of officers claimed to have good or very good morale compared with only 24% in 2018.

“This is a remarkable improvement over the last 12 months,” the Police Association said.

Officers also noted improvement in the amount of recognition they receive from Sergeants and Inspectors, although 59% detailed that Senior Management rarely provide such recognition. 

Pictured: Over two thirds of officers reported experiencing stress at work.

However, some concerning trends also emerged from the survey. Over two thirds of officers reported experiencing stress at work, while 42% of officers said they found it difficult or very difficult to manage their workload.

This latter ties in with requests for fewer emails made as part of a question asking officers for their views on how to improve the working environment.

While the number of officers stating they get a high level of accomplishment from their work increased from 24% to 35%, one in 10 respondents said their job doesn’t give them any sense of accomplishment at all.

6.13% said they didn’t feel respected by their colleagues at all, while a further 15.34% said “only a little.” A majority also noted they do not feel respected at all by Senior Management.

39% of responders claimed to be either “dissatisfied” or “very dissatisfied” with their career development at present, with a quarter viewing their chances of promotion as “very unlikely.”

Pictured: 36 Officers indicated they would not be working as a Police Officer a year from now.

All this could lead to some officers leaving the force, as 36 Officers indicated they would not be working as a Police Officer a year from now - something the Association said was of “particular concern.” Last year, 38 of them made the same observation. 

James Le Cornu, the President of the Police Association, told Express: “There's a big number of officers who want to leave and our numbers have dropped. It's a poor statistic. This in itself flies in the face of the comments made by the Chief Minister earlier this week who said we didn’t have retention problems. Having 20% of the establishment stating they want to leave is a retention problem. 

“Our budget has been continually squeezed, but 90% of our budget is staff pay so there is only so much we cut elsewhere, and this impacts morale. The Association has been doing a lot to improve the working environment but I’m now calling on the States: if they place a value on the morale of the staff, they need to play their part."

A majority (63%) of officers also stated they would not recommend joining the force to a friend.

Pictured: Most police officers would not recommend their job to a friend.

To improve their working environment, officers requested more to be recruited over concerns for their safety as well changes to their operations system.

They also called for greater transparency and fairness in relation to departmental moves and better opportunities. 

The Minister for Home Affairs, Constable Len Norman, has since responded to the findings of the survey in a statement, which noted that “there will always be natural attrition of staff due to retirement, individuals leaving the Island, maternity leave or those wishing to change career.”

Constable Norman commented: “I am very encouraged by the changes and improvements that I have witnessed over the last 12 months, since the initial States of Jersey Police Association Well-Being Survey. I’m regularly updated by my colleagues within the Force of the progress made and mindful that it takes time for changes to embed."

Pictured: Constable Len Norman, the Minister for Home Affairs.

He added: “The States of Jersey Police have recently bid for an increase in resources, of which I am very supportive and our need to protect the public of Jersey.”