Pay rise for new police recruits welcomed by West Mercia federation

West Mercia Police has announced details of an increase in pay for all new recruits joining the force.

Recruits on the Degree Holder Entry Programme (DHEP), Police Constable Degree Apprenticeship (PCDA) and Initial Police Learning and Development Programme plus (IPLDP+) are to all get an uplift.

From September 1, DHEP and PCDA entrants will start on an annual salary of £26,682 while colleagues on the IPLDP+ will start on £25,269 a year. Student officers already on these programmes will also see the increase to bring their salaries in line with the new entrants.

West Mercia Police Federation, which represents rank and file officers on the force, said it welcomed the increase in starting salaries but warned long-standing issues over pay and conditions for serving officers still needed to be addressed.

Branch secretary Pete Nightingale said: “Clearly I would be hugely supportive of anything which increases pay in these difficult times.

“This is welcome news for officers starting out on their careers and more broadly speaking should help with recruitment and retention issues.

“But more needs to be done for officers with more service whose pay simply doesn’t reflect the sacrifices they make, the dangers they face and the stresses of the job.

“The Police Federation has called for a 17 per cent pay rise this year which we feel would make up for the decades of low or zero increases, bring us back into line with colleagues in the other emergency services and recognise that our members have extremely limited employment rights.”

West Mercia Police said it made the decision to increase starting salaries to ensure they are consistent with other forces in the region.

A spokesman said: “The new starting salaries recognise the different entry requirements of all routes and the additional level of work and personal investment expected by student officers who undertake additional qualifications.

“We also want to remain competitive as an employer and this increase in salary, alongside the other benefits of working for West Mercia Police, will help us continue to attract a diverse range of applicants and continue to incentivise the PEQF Programme as a career option.”