Debbie Simpson - Thanks, I'll have that 10% pay rise
If you are interested, the post title is a quote from Julian Casablancas.
Some of you may be aware that the new Police and Crime Commissioners have the power to grant Chief Constables pay rises of up to 10% above the rates their post received last October. This was one of the recommendations from Tom Winsor. The idea was that to attract the best leaders you may have to pay more.
Another of Winsor's recommendations was, of course, to reduce the starting pay of new recruits by £4000 or 20%. He wants to improve the standard of new recruits but apparently you can do that by reducing pay in the case of the 'grunts' at the lower echelons.
Debbie Simpson has just been appointed Chief Constable of Dorset. She was already doing the job in an acting capacity. She wasn't going anywhere else. She would have been happy with her £133K salary and a five year contract.
Martyn Underhill, the PCC for Dorset, has decided to give her the full 10% pay increase that is within his power, bringing her salary up to £146K. His decision has been questioned by the Panel that monitors his work and he has defended his decision claiming he needed to offer the extra money to get the right quality applicants.
Our Chief Officers are clambering all over each other to climb the greasy pole and do not need any more incentives. As for good leaders, it is our Chief Officers who are responsible for chasing pointless targets and ignoring real crime and criminals. It is our Chief Officers who sold their integrity to the media chasing spin and good news stories. It is our Chief Officers who have failed to show leadership while the Government and Winsor pulls apart and destroys the police service, the only part of our justice system of any effect.
At a time when almost everyone is suffering from increased costs of living and falling pay, and police officers in particular are having their salaries and pensions decimated what sort of example is this? Martyn Underhill is an idiot who clearly has no political or moral sense at all. If Debbie Simpson has any decency or any real leadership skills she will refuse the pay increase. I won't hold my breath though.
