Matthew Barber, Police and Crime Commissioner for Thames Valley:
I am pleased that the Home Office have accepted in full the recommendations of the Police Remuneration Review Body which will see officers of all ranks get a pay rise of 7% from September this year.
We have more officers than ever before in Thames Valley and this pay award is not just vital to ensure continued recruitment and improve retention, but is truly deserved by police officers who put themselves in harm’s way on a daily basis in order to protect the public and tackle crime.
As important as the increase itself is, the news that this rise will be funded by the Home Office means there will be no impact on the police budget that I agreed with the Chief Constable earlier this year. This means that as well as getting a fair deal for officers we are able to continue to invest in neighbourhood policing, and catching criminals.