Thames Valley Police Federation

28/10/2026

93% of Thames Valley Police officers do not feel fairly paid for the stresses and strains of the job, and 78% are dissatisfied or very dissatisfied with their overall pay and allowances, new figures show.

According to the 2026 Police Federation of England and Wales Pay and Morale Report, 32% of officers frequently cannot meet their household’s financial needs.

68% say their workload is too high or much too high, and 49% have had at least one rest day cancelled in the past 12 months.

25% say they are satisfied with their job, and 27% intend to resign from the service either within the next two years or as soon as they can.

The survey also showed that 68% do not feel valued in the police and 71% would not recommend joining the service.

49% of respondents are not confident in their force's ability to resource appropriately for day-to-day operational demands, and 28% say their team has been fully staffed on very few or no shifts in the past three months.

69% say their force relies heavily on officer goodwill to meet routine operational demands, and 53% have felt unsafe on duty because of staffing levels in the past three months.

And 71% of officers who responded to the survey are too fatigued to carry out their duties. In Thames Valley Police, 45% of officers have been physically attacked by a member of the public in the past 12 months, and 75% do not have access to double crewing at all times while on duty.

Thames Valley Police Federation Chair Aileen O’Connor said: “The most concerning findings for me are the number of officers who say they intend to resign, which is above the national average and among the highest forces in England and Wales.

“More than two-thirds of our members say their workload is too high or much too high – again this is above the national average.

“But by far the most concerning finding from this survey for me is that 83% of our officers have had annual leave refused – this is an extraordinary 23 points above the national average and arguably the most concerning force-specific result in the report.

“I am also keen to compare the data from 2025 with this year because at first glance there are areas that have improved – for example personal and force morale, and pride in policing across TVP remains relatively strong.

“However, the more worrying news is that more officers are considering leaving, workload pressures have increased, fatigue is having greater impact on operational effectiveness and family life and leave refusals have become a major issue.

“It’s a priority for me to look at the data around the sheer amount of unnecessary demand that our officers are facing, for example attending non crime-related matters where other authorities or agencies should be the first port of call.

“I will be discussing these results with the Chief in the coming days and weeks to see how we can improve.”

The survey also showed that 82% of respondents had experienced stress, low mood or anxiety in the past 12 months, and 42% find their job very or extremely stressful.

47% have sought help for stress, low mood, anxiety or other mental health difficulties, and 68% rate their force's support for officers and their wellbeing as inadequate or requiring improvement.

The survey also showed the effect that policing has on officers’ personal lives. In Thames Valley Police, 36% of officers often or always pressured to work long hours and 85% had annual leave requests refused.

79% of respondents say they have been so fatigued that it has interfered with their family or social life in the past month, and 57% have had to cancel personal plans due to last-minute work requirements in the past 12 months.

40% have worked during annual leave to catch up, 22% have had at least one free day cancelled in the past 12 months and 25% have had their roster changed more than 10 times in the past 12 months.

For the first time, the survey asked about how policing affects parents and carers, with 74% of mothers and 48% of fathers in Thames Valley Police saying they have had to change job roles or teams to meet their obligations as a parent.

The survey is based on 663 responses received from Thames Valley Police officers.

23/10/2026

Thames Valley Police Federation said it is “disappointed” that no members of the Government attended the PFEW’s annual conference.

Speaking at the conference, which was held in London this week, Chair Aileen O’Connor asked the PFEW what had to be done to ensure senior politicians do not continue to snub the event.

She said: “I was extremely disappointed that we didn't have the Policing Minister at our conference. The clue is in the title of what she does. She is the Policing Minister.

“This is a policing conference that talks about issues affecting police officers in this country, yet we don't have the person who leads that. Instead, we had a fluffy presentation video at the start of conference. I was really disappointed in that. And I was equally as disappointed, no Home Secretary either.

“I challenged the National Federation on the Board yesterday and I said, ‘What do we have to do, as a federation, to get this government… to have the crisis that we're in in policing and that our members are in, what do we have to do to get them to be front and centre in their minds about how we tackle this and they address it’.

“We have a Prime Minister who doesn't even talk about policing. Yet we had the Leader of the Opposition here, who was very articulate, very engaging, and talked about her plan, if and when they get back into government, and to judge her on what she's done as an individual as opposed to that party.

“I don't care who's in government. I just want somebody to address the key issues that are affecting our members every single day, that we are trying to push for.”

The PFEW said it was declaring a “national emergency” about the state of policing in England and Wales, ahead of the conference.

Aileen said: “That's some really strong words, so what are we doing about it? And what is this government going to do about it?

“Because this is a crisis that is getting worse, and has been getting worse for a long time. It's completely and utterly unacceptable in the role that we do where, this year alone, we've had 21 police officers who have died by su***de. That is a tragedy.

“And if 21 police officers had been killed by any other means – been shot, stabbed, run over, in this country this year – you can bet your bottom dollar you'd expect the Home Secretary, the Prime Minister and everybody to be asking some serious questions to Chief Officers around the state of that.

“Yet it's not on anybody's radar, and that is unacceptable. We're a year ahead of where we were last year. A 50% increase in officers who have died by su***de. What is it going to take? What's the next figure that it's going to take for them to actually do something about this?”

22/10/2026

Four in five Police Officers have experienced stress, low mood or anxiety, as survey exposes a service running on exhausted staff and goodwill.

The Police Federation of England and Wales has declared a public health emergency in policing, warning that the current model of unsustainable workloads and increased exposure to trauma is damaging the health of the officers expected to protect the public.

The Federation’s Pay and Morale Survey, published today, found that 78% had experienced stress, low mood or anxiety in the past year, with 94% of those saying work had caused or worsened it.

Two thirds said fatigue had made it difficult to carry out their duties, while 76% said exhaustion had affected their family or social life.

Paul Williams, Acting National Chair of the PFEW, said: "Policing asks a lot of its people. But it is taking too much.

"It is taking too much when hundreds of officers decide the only way they can afford the cost of living is to stop paying into their pension. When detectives investigating child abuse carry caseloads of 40, 50 or more. And when experienced officers hand in their warrant cards because they can earn similar money elsewhere without taking the trauma home.

"These are not isolated cases. They are hallmarks of a system failing the people it relies upon.

"Policing is a broken service that is breaking its people. More than 15 years of cuts have hollowed out the service, while falling morale, concerns about pay and mounting pressures have become entrenched.

"This is no longer simply a morale problem. It is a public health emergency.

"Officers are reporting levels of stress, fatigue and ill health that would raise serious concerns in any other profession.

"Rest days are lost, annual leave refused and overtime used to plug workforce gaps. Yet too often the response has been to treat the symptoms rather than the cause.

"Today I have written to the Home Secretary, calling on her to recognise that emergency and put urgent measures in place to tackle it.

"We also need urgent action to stop policing burning through its people. Half of PCs have fewer than five years’ service. Two-thirds of all officers resigning are those who have hit the five-year point and can give no more.

"That is why PFEW is calling for an independent investigation into the health, wellbeing and welfare of officers in their first five years of service, bringing together the data and lived experience needed to put concrete measures in place to better support them."

21/10/2026

Additional responsibility in policing is too often carried out without additional recompense, the Police Federation of England and Wales Conference heard today as calls were made for collective bargaining and binding arbitration.

"Exploitation is built into the way policing operates," delegates were told, as Acting General Secretary Mel Warnes said "Pay is about whether people join, stay... and whether experienced officers think it is still worth it."

“What do we get for giving up our rights?” she questioned, adding that the status quo was not sustainable.

Currently there are no binding rules on police pay, and this year the Government ignored the recommendation of the Police Remuneration Review Body – awarding a 3.5% increase instead of the recommended 3.9%.

Reiterating that the PFEW would continue to lobby for collective bargaining and binding arbitration, Mel said: “Officers just want to be paid fairly, have their rest protected, have their experience valued and finish a shift with enough energy for their home life.

“Pay is not simply about what is in your bank account – it is about whether officers decide if policing is worth it

“We are not asking police officers to walk away from their responsibility – we are asking the Government to look after the people who look after the public.”

She also called for fair time limits for officers under misconduct investigations, pointing out the disparity between the standards expected from police and the IOPC. Currently police officers must respond to allegations within 15 days but the same restriction does not apply to the IOPC.

Mel said: “Time limits in investigations must be reviewed, too many officers are being put through hearings where there is little realistic prospect of the case proceeding.

“Officers should be held accountable but this must be fair, timely and proportionate.”

18/10/2026

Thames Valley Police Federation joins officers across the country in sending our best wishes to our colleague from Nottinghamshire Police who was shot on duty today.

We wish them a speedy and full recovery and are thinking of them, their family and close colleagues at this time.

A fi***rm has been recovered by officers after a man and a woman fled the scene, detectives say.

13/10/2026

Thames Valley Police honoured at High Wycombe church

Thames Valley Police officers were honoured at a special appreciation ceremony in High Wycombe, recognising their dedication, service and positive impact on the local community.

09/10/2026

Neurodiversity and Policing webinar upcoming

The webinar will discuss the challenges neurodivergent officers may face and how they can be supported with the appropriate conversations, understanding and reasonable workplace adjustments.

The session will also highlight support services both within the policing and through external organisations.

15 October @ 10.30am.

https://pfewevents.org/neurodiversity-and-policing

05/10/2026

Sad news as Humberside Police Federation announce the death of a colleague.

The thoughts of Thames Valley Police Federation are with his family, friends and colleagues at this time.

All at Humberside Police Federation have been devastated by the news of the sudden death of a colleague over the weekend.

Our thoughts are with his family, friends and close colleagues at this absolutely tragic time.

We are supporting his family and fellow officers as best as we can.

If police officers and staff are struggling they can contact a Police Federation Representative, the Mental Health Crisis Line (call 0300 131 2789) and Samaritans (116 123).

01/10/2026

The HMICFRS’ warning that forces have “significant gaps in experience, skills and supervision” should concern everyone in policing, the Chair of Thames Valley Police Federation has said.

His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary published its latest ‘State of Policing’ Report, in which it warned that too many officers and police staff were experiencing low morale and poor wellbeing, and that forces were managing significant gaps in experience, skills and supervision.

It said that forces must understand the capabilities they will need in the future; strengthen supervision and professional development; and recruit and retain the right combination of officers and staff.

Thames Valley Police Federation Chair Aileen O’Connor said: “This warning from HMICFRS should concern everyone involved in policing, as these gaps create real risks for operational effectiveness and public safety.

“These gaps have developed through years of underinvestment, an exodus of experienced officers, and a rapid influx of new recruits replacing long-serving colleagues. While officer numbers may look healthy on paper, many forces have lost a wealth of operational knowledge that cannot be replaced overnight.

“Less experienced officers are being asked to manage increasingly complex investigations, mental health incidents and safeguarding responsibilities, often with fewer experienced supervisors available to guide them. That increases the risk of mistakes, poorer outcomes for victims, greater pressure on frontline staff and declining public confidence.”

She added: “The solution is not simply recruiting more officers. Policing needs to retain experienced officers through fair pay, better career progression and improved wellbeing support. Forces also need greater investment in supervision, leadership development and specialist training to ensure knowledge is passed on to the next generation.”

29/09/2026

Thoughts of all at Thames Valley Police Federation are with Alex's family, friends and close colleagues.

All at Dorset Police Federation are devastated by the sudden death of our colleague PC Alex Ayre.

Alex – who died on Friday - was 24.

He had served in the Bournemouth and Boscombe area and joined the force in 2022.

Alex's family described him as a "much-loved son, grandson, big brother, little brother, nephew, cousin, best friend and such an important person to so many people".

They said: "None of us ever imagined we would be having to say goodbye to you so soon.

"Losing you has left a space in our lives that can never be filled.

"You were deeply loved and respected by your family, friends, colleagues, childhood friends and by so many people whose lives you crossed along the way."

They described him as a "handsome, charming young man" whose personality naturally drew people towards him.

The family said: "You had such a way of making people feel welcome, accepted and included, no matter who they were.

"You were always there for people, always happy to help, always thinking about how other people were feeling, and always someone people knew they could turn to when they needed you."

Chris Wood, Chair of Dorset Police Federation, said: “We are all incredibly saddened by the sudden loss of Alex.

"The thoughts of all at Dorset Police Federation are with his family, friends and close colleagues at this devastating time.

“The Federation team remains in constant contact with the Force and are supporting his colleagues as best as we can.

“If anyone needs support, the Force’s welfare team are available as are the Federation.”