Time to curb police excess

That does not seem to be the case in South Yorkshire, however, where the Chief Constable, Meredydd Hughes, has accepted an increase of more than 20 per cent in his pay package, while other senior members of staff have also received substantial increases. Meanwhile, South Yorkshire has already shed 200 officers during the last two years, more than any other force in the country.

Once figures for other forces are published, it is expected that South Yorkshire will not be alone in its excess. Although the Chief Constable of West Yorkshire, Sir Norman Bettison, has called for a pay freeze for the top 25 per cent of the public-sector workforce, it seems that restraint, at least in terms of pay, is not yet a readily recognisable term in police circles.

Yet, elsewhere in the police service, change is definitely in the air. Already some forces are discussing mergers while others are planning major reorganisations, with Policing Minister Nick Herbert saying that

under-used police stations may have to close and insisting that a force's effectiveness should not be judged by how many officers it has.

But even if Mr Herbert is right and efficient reorganisation can produce police forces that work effectively with a much smaller cost base, this will be much harder to achieve as long as senior officers' pay and perks are soaking up a large portion of a fast-shrinking budget.

Then there is the crucial matter of the police's relationship with the public, which will hardly

be helped if people see their local station closing down while their Chief Constable takes home a large pay rise.

Sir Norman was far-sighted enough to recognise the potential damage that could be done if top-level pay is not curbed. How long

will it take before other senior officers realise that the culture of excess is at an end?