MORALE among the regions police officers is ‘shockingly’ low according to a new survey conducted by the Police Federation of England and Wales (PFEW).
A staggering 95 per cent of West Mercia Police officers said their personal morale was low, while almost two-thirds (62 per cent) felt morale within the force was low or very low.
The figures from the annual PFEW Pay and Morale Survey ranks team spirit at West Mercia Police among some of the lowest among forces in the country, second only to the Metropolitan Police.
West Mercia respondents also reported the second highest figure in terms of not recommending others to join the police (82 per cent, compared to 73 per cent nationally).
A total of 52 per cent of West Mercia officers disagreed or strongly disagreed that they were treated fairly – the third highest level in the country behind the Met and Suffolk Constabulary.
The survey also revealed 96 per cent of respondents said they do not feel respected by Government while 78 per cent said they did not feel valued within the police.
A large percentage (85 per cent) indicated they had experienced feelings of stress, low mood, anxiety or other difficulties with their health and well-being over the last 12 months.
As well as this, 70 per cent felt their workload was too high, 56 per cent were unable to take breaks, 47 per cent find the job too stressful, and only 11 per cent had access to double crewing.
Lastly, 43 per cent of respondents were ‘dissatisfied’ or ‘very dissatisfied’ with opportunities for training while 48 per cent had the same response to the Professional Development Review (PDR) process.
Steve Butler, chair of West Mercia Police Federation, said the survey results made for sombre reading.
“It is quite shocking to find that West Mercia has the second lowest level of morale in the country, particularly when you consider we are second only to the Met,” he said.
“While some of the reasons given for low morale are national issues, such as pay, pensions and the way in which the Government treats the police service, there are also some more local issues, including workloads, work-life balance and opportunities for career development that the Force and our senior officers need to look at,” he added.
The survey was conducted from November to December 2023 and attracted 639 responses, totaling a response rate of around 26 per cent based on officer numbers from March 2023.
West Mercia Police have been approached for comment.
