A ‘dad's army’ of experienced police officers threatened with the axe have won a reprieve – for now. Greater Manchester Police bosses want to force cops with more than 30 years’ experience to retire to help meet savage government cuts.
But they agreed to a last-minute request to defer the decision until August at a meeting of the Greater Manchester Police Authority (GMPA) yesterday.
It means a group of at least 48 officers, including four superintendents, who might be affected by the ruling have won a reprieve.
Members of the GMPA agreed unanimously to the principle of invoking the power, known as rule A19, but they agreed to wait until a national review of police terms and conditions, which may introduce other ways of allowing cops to retire early, is completed later this year.
At the moment, police cannot be made redundant.
As part of their resolution, members also said they wanted the force to establish exactly how many of the officers who have reached 30 years would actually retire voluntarily.
They will now be written to and asked their intentions.
The resolution was voted through unanimously after Ch Supt Alan Greene, speaking on behalf of the superintendents, and Chris Burrows, of the Greater Manchester branch of the Police Federation, made personal appeals to the GMPA members. Both argued it was unnecessary to invoke the rule before the second part of the Winsor report into police terms and conditions is published at the end of next month.
That, they said, could well hand chief constables other powers to reduce police officer numbers.
The pair argued that the savings would be small, pointing to figures which suggest the taxpayer would save just £2,000 for each veteran officer obliged to retire.
The use of A19 is being considered to try to help GMP tackle massive government cuts which will see 3,100 jobs lost over the next four years.
Chief Constable Peter Fahy told the meeting: "This is a unique situation the authority is in because of the size of the financial challenge we face.
"These are very, very difficult times. Nobody should under-estimate how difficult they are.
"I meet members of staff all the time. Nobody needs to tell me how hard this is, the human impact of the situation and the decisions the authority is facing.
"This is about having to make very severe budget cuts and trying to preserve services at a time when members of the public could be made vulnerable. That’s a difficult situation I know authority members take very seriously."
Independent GMPA member Sharron Hardman expressed concern at the prospect of losing so many experienced and expensively-trained staff in one go. Mr Fahy replied: "There’s no doubt there are very valued colleagues caught up in this particular decision. But we are confident the force has the skills to cover this."
The authority will re-consider whether to invoke rule A19 at a meeting on August 12.
Our reporter John Scheerhout was at the meeting, where members were being asked whether they agree with the proposal. Click on the grey box below to replay his updates, or click here if you're reading on a mobile device.
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My god you put your faith in the police authority to make important decisions on policing......
You cannot beat experience especially in the police service. Showing more younger officers how to deal with community issues. Not saying that all younger police officers do not, but some I have come across have been dire in their duties.
But also the thought of officers who have dedicated their lives in serving their queen and community dumped on the scrap heap is not a good prospect.
However perhaps the force command might show us the way!
Steve Holt
North Manchester
Why not start the ball rolling by getting rid of Fahy?
Its a shame the officers can not find something to do after 30 years in the police. The thing is they have become institutionalised and would not be able to cope with retirement from the police.
GMP should encourage young blood. You gain experience by working on cases as a young officer and gaining mentorship from the mid-ranks not old men and women who are afraid of life after.
There should be more educational courses in regard to pre-retirement so the 30plus cops are more confident about leaving. After all they will have to leave one day!
The number is very small. Most officers I know are counting the time left to serve in Years, Months, weeks and days. One even, after checking his watch, to hours. Such is the disenchantment of being stabbed in the back: not by villains but by the establishment they proptect and serve.
I don't buy this "experience" line. I would love to know how many of these 30+ officers are pounding a beat, imparting their "wisdom" to rookie cops. I'm willing to bet they all work in office jobs or the equivalent, and their reasons for staying on are selfish and financial, not altruistic. By not leaving the stage, they are eating up valuable funds that could be used elsewhere - to save the jobs of more poorly paid staff or officers, or maybe to help end the recruitment freeze. Look around you - NO importance is placed on "experience" in policing the streets. The only ones out there walking a beat or driving a car are relatively raw recruits, marking time until they can move on to something else.
Seems this is yet another one the police can't win - one day the headline says "It's all wrong - Coppers retire on a full pension at 50" and the next day the media calls them "Dad's Army" and plenty are of the opinion that those with 30 years service should leave and take their pensions.
If the old cops enjoy "the job" that much why don't they come back as a volunteer or even a "special". Wow there's a thought.
In all honesty these old 30plus police could get a pension and a lump sum so effectively they are working for half pay. If they were at the sharp end I doubt they would stay on to pass their "experience" to the girls and boys rolling around the floor on a Saturday night working rotating shifts.
If ex police wish to stay on in the role then civillianise their post and get them to work for Nalgo rates. Now that's fair even if it is blocking a space for a young person.