Lack of support from bosses blamed for number of police officers wanting to quit

06 January 2024 , 17:23

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Officers cite poor decision-making by bosses as a reason for leaving (Image: Getty Images)

Police officers are more likely to quit their jobs now than ever before, an arresting survey reveals.

Too few officers, a blame culture, lack of support from bosses and stress are top reasons why cops leave.

Some 23,000 frontline officers took part in the National Police Wellbeing Survey, which rates responses on a scale of one to seven. In 2023, the average for “intention to quit” was four – the highest since the poll, carried out with the Policing Research Unit at Durham University, began five years ago. Last year, it was 3.64.

More than 20,000 officers took part in the survey (Getty Images)

The sense of being valued by the public was also the lowest ever, at 2.77, while being valued by the force was 2.99.

Former Met detective Peter Bleksley said: “This is confirmation of what I am hearing from the front line. It is what happens when bosses abandon their officers.”

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Mr Bleksley added forces’ refusal to “properly” probe some crimes has made the public dissatisfied – and this has “rubbed off” on staff. He said: “They cannot do their jobs properly as their hands are tied by poor decision-making at the top. Police officers want to police.”

The Home Office said: “Voluntary resignations, around 3%, are low compared to other sectors. We recognise policing is demanding. That is why we introduced the Police Covenant and provided £3million in funding this year for the National Police Wellbeing Service.”

Isaac Crowson