Being a Detective is a tough job – and the impact it can have on health and wellbeing is affecting recruitment to the service.
Staffordshire Police Federation Secretary Glyn Pattinson (pictured left) said the lack of Detectives across England and Wales has an impact on those that are in the job.
Nationally 5,000 roles need to be filled, while PFEW surveys have revealed just how low morale is in the sector.
Speaking at The Police Federation National Detectives' Forum (PFNDF), Glyn said: “I think it really hits home when it’s an event like we’ve had over the last two days, when you see the awesome work that’s going on up and down the country, but also the toll that it has on our members and the Detectives that are going that extra mile.
“They are really struggling and there is an impact on their health due to the numbers of Detectives.
“There is a loss of income too, people lose their unsociable hours from becoming a uniformed officer to becoming a Detective,” he added.
Despite the issues, Glyn is positive about the future.
“I think there is hope - we had an excellent presentation from the Chief Constable of Surrey and saw the initiatives that are taking place there. I just hope that other chiefs take that on board and that we start to see it spread across the country.”
That initiative from Surrey would see Detectives earn £1,000 for signing up to CID, another £1,000 on completion of their training and another £500 for becoming a tutor to new recruits.
“I would encourage all Chief Constables to push Police Regulations to the limit, to make good use of bonus payments, make use of whatever initiatives are out there to encourage people to take on what is the best job in the police service,” he said.
DC Dave Stubbs attended the seminar for the first time and said Detectives in the service must be looked after.
“This is one area of policing you’ve got to get right,” he said.
“Hearing some of the tales from across the country and how Detectives are actually in crisis, it’s not just a soundbite.
“A lot of work needs to be done to put that right.”
