‘Don’t cut police staff to boost officer numbers’, says Unison

Speaking to union delegates in Brighton on Thursday (October 9), Ms McAnea warned against forces sacrificing employees to allow more police officers to be taken on, only for them to do the work of police staff at a greater cost.

She said: “Police staff are essential to keeping communities safe.Whether it’s crime scene investigators, PCSOs, call-handlers, dispatch controllers, crime analysts, IT specialists, or finance and HR professionals

“We’ve written to both the new Home Secretary and Policing Minister, making clear we expect to see an end to the officer-uplift targets that have drained police staff posts.

“That’s meant 6,000 officers doing jobs that should be done by staff – at a far greater cost to the taxpayer.

“We want chief constables to have the flexibility to recruit the workforce they need, based on skills – not arbitrary numbers.”

Ms McAnea said there must be a “proper workforce strategy” that recognises the essential role of police staff.

She added: “Forces in England and Wales face budget shortfalls approaching £1 billion by 2027. Already we’ve seen cuts to police community support officers, call-handlers, dispatchers and analysts.

“These cuts make communities less safe. And they harm the government’s own policing priorities because when staff posts go, officers have to backfill.

“It’s bad for staff, bad for officers and bad for the public.”

Ms McAnea was speaking at Unison’s annual national conference for police staff, probation workers and family court advisers, which concluded on Friday.

She also said: “Colleagues in probation know only too well what it means to work in a broken system.

“When it was run locally it was an effective, award-winning system.

“But as part of the civil service, it’s been mismanaged, underfunded and stripped of accountability.

“Staff aren’t paid properly or even on time, grievances go unresolved, morale’s been destroyed and services damaged.

“The Government has promised to review the governance of probation. This must happen now.”

She told delegates: “You’re the beating heart of policing, probation and family justice.

“You make our communities safer. You protect children. You give people a chance to rebuild their lives.

“And you do it in the face of cuts, underfunding, and all too often, lack of recognition.

“I will continue to listen to you and I will make sure your voices are heard by governments and employers.

“And I’ll continue to fight for your pay, your jobs, your dignity and your future.”

Her speech comes as Public and Commercial Services Union (PCS) members working for the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) voted to take strike action over a two-tier system that PCS says “treats the 30,000 police officers more favourably than our members, its 11,000 police staff”.

Ninety-three per cent PCS members voted to strike over the MPS’s refusal to pay them a London allowance that is paid to police officers.

The PCS said in 2024/25 the MPS paid its police officers a consolidated £1,250 London living allowance but has refused to pay it to police staff PCS members, who unlike police officers, do not receive free travel and who mainly live in London and its suburbs.

PCS Met Police group president David Parrock said: “Members have sent a message that should be heard loud and clear by the Met’s management board: we will not accept his plans for police staff to be second class citizens. They have voted to say that yes, we do deserve to receive the £1,250 London allowance increase, just like the police officers.”

The PCS Met Police executive committee will meet to decide the next steps, which may include uniting with Prospect and Unite members, also being balloted over the failure to pay their members the £1,250 London cost of living allowance.

PCS general secretary Fran Heathcote said: “Our members in the Met Police have had enough of being treated like an afterthought.

“Their almost 100 per cent vote for strike action sends a strong message.

“Police staff will not tolerate being treated as second-class citizens within their own workplaces. And this means taking action until they receive the same £1,250 allowance as their colleagues.”