‘Living hand to mouth’: Record number of police officers turning to food banks

[pagallim]

London (Metropolitan) Police salaries, starting circa 36,000 pounds, rising to 54,000 pounds after 7 years.   Provincial police are not far behind, then also take into consideration their early retirement benefits and generous pensions.

 

https://www.met.police.uk/police-forces/metropolitan-police/areas/c/careers/police-officer-roles/police-constable/overview/benefits-and-rewards/

[youreavinalaff]

7 minutes ago, Chomper Higgot said:

And this, is this a quote from the article?

 

“Worried officers have proposed setting up food banks for police recruits, The Independent can reveal, as one in 10 admit to relying on handouts.”

 

Yes or no?

 

How about this:

 

“Worried officers have floated the idea of establishing food banks specifically tailored for police recruits, underscoring the severity of the situation.”

Since 2019 there have been just over 15000 new recruits in the police force. Each year they receive pay rises and move up a level on the salary scale.

 

At best, if we take all recruits since 2019,  one in ten, of those on the salary figure you quoted, would be circa 1500.

 

Salaries of the remaining, at least 4500, unknown. As I said.

[Chomper Higgot]

6 minutes ago, youreavinalaff said:

Since 2019 there have been just over 15000 new recruits in the police force. Each year they receive pay rises and move up a level on the salary scale.

 

At best, if we take all recruits since 2019,  one in ten, of those on the salary figure you quoted, would be circa 1500.

 

Salaries of the remaining, at least 4500, unknown. As I said.

While hypothesize numbers to suit your point of view, we have this to give us an insight:

 

“The starting salary is more than £4,000 less than a constable who joined the police before 2013, when the then home secretary Theresa May slashed officer salaries in a raft of controversial austerity measures.“

 

With starting salaries 85% of what they were 11 years ago, is it any wonder 

 

“Worried officers have proposed setting up food banks for police recruits, The Independent can reveal, as one in 10 admit to relying on handouts.”

[connda]

4 hours ago, ChaiyaTH said:

One wonders how long this can keep going on before people would finally stand up against it, my guess is, a very long time. Working fulltime but then even having a hard time for basic food meals, is simply modern slavery at the most cruel way.

The billionaire-class is pretty open about stating their vision for the rest of us:
A Neo-feudal, rentier state where you'll own nothing and are barely be able to clothe, shelter, and feed yourselves. Look - how many people in the West are already living rough on the streets. These people wish to be lords and ladies fine, lording over the neo-peasant-classes just like in the Middle ages. We're getting there.  Like the Middle Ages, streets in the Western neo-liberal bastions of democracy are open-air sewers - just like they were before a more enlightened gentry opened their sacred purse-strings and actually built infrastructure for their citizens.  Unfortunately we are back to watching the effects of social entropy.

 

What I believe they'll end up fomenting is their own demise if they aren't able to stoke a world war in short order.  There's nothing like a world war to "mow the grass," i.e., cull the commoners while enriching themselves with the spoils and machinations of a war economy.  Just get your commons to hate the people they tell you to hate, then hype nationalism and patriotism, and then show them to the battle-fields.
But ya never know.  Thing go sideways and it's guillotine time for the overlords. Especially when the authority-classes of cops and army aren't treated any better than the serfs. And when ya get to that stage, everybody potentially ends up with their neck's on the chopping block.  We're heading into a Fourth Turning and it ain't gonna be pretty. 

"History doesn't repeat itself, but it does rhyme," and 80+ years after that last dance, the band is beginning to once again play the war-dirges, and unfortunately, even the commoner-classes are shining their dance shoes - fools one and all.

Edited March 31 by connda

[Nick Carter icp]

When you call the Police they take ages to come and hardly every make arrests .

I propose that the Police get paid by the arrests they make , say give the police 30 quid every time they arrest someone .

   That way there will be more arrests and the Police will get paid more , also fine people 30 quid every time they get arrested , on top of any other punishment 

[Chomper Higgot]

9 minutes ago, Nick Carter icp said:

When you call the Police they take ages to come and hardly every make arrests .

I propose that the Police get paid by the arrests they make , say give the police 30 quid every time they arrest someone .

   That way there will be more arrests and the Police will get paid more , also fine people 30 quid every time they get arrested , on top of any other punishment 

I guess it wouldn’t bother you if the police arrest people just for the money.

 

[sammieuk1]

4 hours ago, youreavinalaff said:

Exactly. Glad to see you've changed your stance.

 

Reading what he actually said us more accurate than reading what you said.

 

Thanks for proving yourself wrong. 

I'm sure that makes perfect sense to you! just not many others 🤔

[Tidal wave]

4 hours ago, youreavinalaff said:

Exactly. Glad to see you've changed your stance.

 

Reading what he actually said us more accurate than reading what you said.

 

Thanks for proving yourself wrong. 

Well done you have won the dumb post of the day. 

[Celsius]

This is because all the money in Europe goes towards cultural enrichers who hate you.

[youreavinalaff]

18 minutes ago, sammieuk1 said:

I'm sure that makes perfect sense to you! just not many others 🤔

I don't see any complaints.

[youreavinalaff]

13 minutes ago, Tidal wave said:

Well done you have won the dumb post of the day. 

I don't think do. Not now. 🤣🤣🤣

Edited March 31 by youreavinalaff

[Tidal wave]

6 minutes ago, youreavinalaff said:

I don't think do. Not now. 🤣🤣🤣

And second place. 

[youreavinalaff]

9 minutes ago, Tidal wave said:

And second place. 

You have time in your life to read every post on this forum, judge them, evaluate them and then put them in some kind of order.

 

And you say others are dumb. 

[Tidal wave]

1 minute ago, youreavinalaff said:

You have time in your life to read every post on this forum, judge them, evaluate them and then put them in some kind of order.

 

And you say others are dumb. 

Not others, just you so far today.

[youreavinalaff]

Just now, Tidal wave said:

Not others, just you so far today.

So, no comparison.

 

Makes your comment rather inane. 

[frank83628]

6 hours ago, Rampant Rabbit said:

Ive noticed the poor  and  starving  often have a large tv as  well, usually accompanied by chronic back pain so they can claim whatever .  

 

 

 

thats been going on since i was a kid, the single mums with 4 kids, claiming benefits, all had huge tvs, vhs & satellite dishes. most working parents didn't. but that is a gov problem. i had friends on the dole at 19, got housing benefit, sold weed and no intention to work. 

[RichardColeman]

Complete nonsense story again - Yes it may be 23k to start but after 7 years of 'on job training' it goes to over £41k  a year - probably over £10k more than average UK salary !

 

 

 

 

 

[RichardColeman]

Complete nonsense story again - Yes it may be 23k to start but after 7 years of 'on job training' it goes to over £41k  a year - probably over £10k more than average UK salary !

 

 

 

 

 

[scorecard]

On 3/31/2024 at 6:26 AM, Social Media said:

 

The plight of police officers grappling with food insecurity has reached alarming levels, with a record number resorting to food banks to make ends meet. As financial pressures mount and wages stagnate, the crisis of food poverty among law enforcement personnel has emerged as a stark reality.

 

Worried officers have floated the idea of establishing food banks specifically tailored for police recruits, underscoring the severity of the situation. A survey of over 6,000 serving officers revealed that one in five officers is forced to skip meals to cope with financial strains, with nearly 10 percent resorting to food banks in the past year alone.

 

The dire financial situation facing police officers is exacerbated by meager salaries, with the average police constable in England and Wales earning just £23,556 upon joining the force. This figure pales in comparison to the earnings of other professions, such as newly qualified nurses, further exacerbating the disparity.

 

The impact of this financial hardship is palpable, with many officers struggling to afford basic necessities such as meals and transportation. Mattheu, a 49-year-old police constable working for the Metropolitan Police, exemplifies the challenges faced by frontline officers. Despite working six days a week, Mattheu finds himself unable to afford adequate meals and is perpetually teetering on the brink of financial instability.

 

Moreover, the corrosive effect of low wages and financial stress on morale cannot be overstated. The prevalence of scandals involving police officers, coupled with the relentless demands of frontline policing, has taken a toll on morale. Instances of police misconduct, such as the tragic case of Sarah Everard, perpetrated by a Met officer, further exacerbate the sense of disillusionment among officers.

 

The revelations about the dire financial straits facing police officers underscore the urgent need for systemic reform. Organizations such as Metfriendly and the Police Federation have sounded the alarm, calling for increased support and recognition of the critical role played by law enforcement personnel.

 

As calls for reform grow louder, it is imperative that policymakers and stakeholders take decisive action to address the root causes of police food poverty. Failure to do so not only jeopardizes the well-being of officers and their families but also undermines the integrity and effectiveness of law enforcement agencies as a whole.

 

31.03.24

Source

 

 

The report is in England, not Thailand. It's the world news.

[1happykamper]

... police in central and south America are the very last person you would call for help. Thailand is heading this way... 

 

The temptation to get paid with "alternative income methods " is just too great. 

[thailand49]

Comments?  Would they be consider 

Brit bashing!

Today you need a smart phone to find a food bank.🤐

[Asquith Production]

20 hours ago, transam said:

My UK chum is a basic cop of 25 years, his wife works too, they have a house, they have a mobile home at the seaside, he has a Triumph Stag fun ride as well as a grocery getter.

Now I don't think they are starving, I would have heard about it........😛........🤭

Entirely different times. 25 years ago it was a well paid job

[metisdead]

A post with false information contravening our Community Standards has been removed.

[cowellandrew]

I love this story and the NHS advice to the police, have you seen the size of the nhs nurses?

[transam]

51 minutes ago, Asquith Production said:

Entirely different times. 25 years ago it was a well paid job

He has been in the job for 25+ years, has a good life and still a constable...🤗

[Red Forever]

Are we supposed to feel sorry for Plod?

Firstly; they need no formal qualifications to enter the force so to compare entry wages to those of a newly qualified nurse who has actually achieved such is disingenuous.

What other job allows one to retire at age 50 yrs on a 2/3rds final year salary, index linked pension 65% of which is funded by we taxpayers?

Levels of crimes solved are dismal. I read recently that one constabulary failed to solve any reported burglaries in the last year!

There are other groups of workers who are far more worthy of our support and sympathy than Plod.

[ChaiyaTH]

16 hours ago, connda said:

The billionaire-class is pretty open about stating their vision for the rest of us:
A Neo-feudal, rentier state where you'll own nothing and are barely be able to clothe, shelter, and feed yourselves. Look - how many people in the West are already living rough on the streets. These people wish to be lords and ladies fine, lording over the neo-peasant-classes just like in the Middle ages. We're getting there.  Like the Middle Ages, streets in the Western neo-liberal bastions of democracy are open-air sewers - just like they were before a more enlightened gentry opened their sacred purse-strings and actually built infrastructure for their citizens.  Unfortunately we are back to watching the effects of social entropy.

 

What I believe they'll end up fomenting is their own demise if they aren't able to stoke a world war in short order.  There's nothing like a world war to "mow the grass," i.e., cull the commoners while enriching themselves with the spoils and machinations of a war economy.  Just get your commons to hate the people they tell you to hate, then hype nationalism and patriotism, and then show them to the battle-fields.
But ya never know.  Thing go sideways and it's guillotine time for the overlords. Especially when the authority-classes of cops and army aren't treated any better than the serfs. And when ya get to that stage, everybody potentially ends up with their neck's on the chopping block.  We're heading into a Fourth Turning and it ain't gonna be pretty. 

"History doesn't repeat itself, but it does rhyme," and 80+ years after that last dance, the band is beginning to once again play the war-dirges, and unfortunately, even the commoner-classes are shining their dance shoes - fools one and all.

Yeah I'm aware, I am early 30s but saw this coming when I was 15 already and moved here at 20. At least here it is somehow still the old world aside from more pleasant to live, and if it all goes down, I at least had a decade plus of good times. And actually until I was 13/14 it was all good too (no smartphones yet).

 

I have like a few brothers and sisters, all younger, 4 years from each other, and boy, it changed hardcore after that, downhill I mean.. I heard Florida just made it illegal for kids to use social media or something, until that age (13-14), makes perfect sense. Anyway I'm heading off-topic now.

----

 

In terms of technology etc, it is not hard to understand that if the future is AI, robots etc, who can basically do everything, and that those things usually in majority are always owned by companies. That means that we soon depend more on individual companies and it's owners, than we depend on governments.

 

This alone is a threat to humanity. 

Edited April 1 by ChaiyaTH

[Andrew65]

23 hours ago, transam said:

But in the UK it is a toss up between food and a Smartphone, as the Smartphone is glued to their hand, it wins every time..................😝

Smartphone in one hand, cigarette in the other. I gave up smoking about a year after returning to the UK from Thailand (after 44 years a smoker). By far the main motivation being the exhorbitant cost. To be a smoker in the UK would cost me £4,000-£5,000 per annum, which I just can't afford. I'm now 4 years an ex-smoker.

[LudwigK]

no ONE must wonder about corruption!!!!!!

[ThaiFelix]

23 hours ago, Chomper Higgot said:

You did read the OP?

read is one thing, comprehend is doubtful knowing his record.