South East Police Furious as Met Offers £5k Bonus to Lure Officers Away
Met Police Faces Backlash Over £5,000 ‘Poaching’ Bonus
South East police forces are up in arms after the Metropolitan Police dangled a £5,000 cash bonus to experienced officers from other regions to jump ship and join the London force. The move has sparked accusations of “poaching” from rival police federations and local forces.
The Met described the £5,000 payment as a “one-time cash bonus” on top of existing perks like London weighting, aiming to boost recruitment and retention amid ongoing staffing pressures.
Hampshire Police Federation Slams ‘Underhanded Tactics’
Zoe Wakefield, Chair of the Hampshire Police Federation, hit out at the Met’s strategy. She said,
“The government is forcing forces to compete against each other to hit the Uplift targets. Using cash incentives like this is just a way to dodge financial penalties.”
Wakefield insists police transfers should be driven by genuine personal or professional reasons — not money. “If officers were paid fairly from the start, these games wouldn’t be needed,” she added.
Police Pay An Outrage Compared to Private Sector
Wakefield doesn’t hold back on pay concerns either. With a McDonald’s general manager earning more than a new police recruit, she calls the pay gap “plain wrong.”
She demands the government lift police salaries to competitive levels to attract fresh recruits and stop experienced officers fleeing to private jobs that offer up to £20,000 more annually — all with less stress and danger.
“Proper pay would solve recruitment and retention without underhand perks,” she concluded.
