A bonus for doing their job

So why, therefore, should the police be a special case – with officers able to accrue an extra 1,000 a year if they show "outstanding" dedication or generate good publicity by arresting a criminal?

This is what every officer across Yorkshire should be striving to achieve during every working hour. It is what taxpayers expect of them. They should not require Whitehall-imposed bonuses or incentive payments to fulfil their obligations to their employers and the law-abiding public.

Of course, there must be some discretion. There are some officers who deserve special responsibility payments – for example, those family liaison officers who work unpredictable and unsocial hours while helping grieving relatives come to terms with a sudden death.

In many respects, it is more advantageous if such harrowing duties are handled by a number of individuals who have the experience of dealing with such sensitive situations.

Yet this does not justify the extent to which senior officers across Yorkshire can use their discretion over the awarding of bonuses when whole teams of officers may be equally deserving of some kind of merit award.

Not only might it fuel discontent within the ranks, but it could divert attention from the need to catch criminals.

If the Government's special priority payments are to remain in place, and that must be doubtful in the present financial climate, they need to be radically overhauled.

And, unless there are truly exceptional circumstances, they should only be paid if a force meets a number of key performance targets, set out in advance, over a calendar year – and with the money shared across the entire workforce rather than a select few.

For, while uniformed officers are the public faces of the police, they could not do their job without the expertise of all the support and specialist staff who work tirelessly behind-the-scenes. It's time Ministers recognised this.