Tony Baldry presses Home Secretary  to act over Thames Valley Police Staffing problem

North Oxfordshire MP Tony Baldry on Monday  night joined a cross-party delegation of MPs representing the Thames Valley, but also other Police forces surrounding the Metropolitan Police area to press for action to stem the transfer of experienced Police Officers into London from the Thames Valley.

The meeting with Home Secretary  Jacquie Smith was called following the publication of figures showing that over 1,000 Police Officers had transferred into the Met over the last five years from Forces, like the Thames Valley, surrounding London.

Many of these Officers are Specialist Officers, such as Firearms Officers.  The cost of recruiting and training Police Officers, especially Specialist Officers is very high, so it costs an estimated £55,000 to train a Police Constable, and some £77,500 to train a Firearms Officer.

“All too often the Thames Valley is recruiting Police Officers, training them, and they are then getting poached by the Met.  This is a crazy situation whereby Oxfordshire Council Tax payers are effectively funding the training of Metropolitan Police Officers.”

“There are understandable reasons why Police Officers move from the Thames Valley to London.  They are better off, because of differential pay increases.  Metropolitan Police Officers receive free travel on public transport to within a 70 mile radius of London, reducing their living expenses and allowing Officers to continue to live outside London and commute to work.  There is obviously a high demand for Specialist trained Officers which will likely increase due to the 2012 Olympics and other factors, such as the opening of Terminal 5 at Heathrow, and obviously the high cost of living in the South East, and in particular high housing costs, put pressure on Police Officers’ salaries. “

“This is not  a criticism of Police Officers who for their own career development wish to move;  it is a criticism of a system which penalises Police Officers in the Thames Valley.  It is time that the allowances and conditions for Thames Valley Police Officers match those of officers in the Met and I very much hope that the Home Secretary  will seek to ensure an increase in the level of allowances to Police Officers in the Thames Valley in order to close the pay gap with the Met.”

“The Home Secretary  was left in no doubt as to the frustration felt by Members of Parliament in the Thames Valley and other areas surrounding London on this issue and hopefully she will now act”, said Tony Baldry.