Emma Høen Bustos: More police in all glory – what should we do about almost half wanting to leave?

Emma Hoen Bustos More police in all glory what

Maybe it was the mistrust circus that made the numbers end up in the shadows. Surely it deserves more attention that 44 percent of all police officers actively plan to seek refuge away from the corps. It shows a new survey from The Swedish Police Confederation.

Almost half of all police officers want to leave the profession. In other industries, such figures would be absurd.

In addition, the development is going in the wrong direction. Since last year, the proportion who want to change jobs has increased by eight percent.

Obviously needed the debate about the shortcomings of the police organization. Like the investments in more police officers.

But without experienced colleagues to lean on, it does not matter how many new aspirants are recruited. Or how well the organization is restructured. Something that emerges from SvD’s reviewing article series the last weeks.

It’s about substandard analyzes of evidence and waiting times that put the brakes on criminal investigations. But also about police officers who leave – because they can no longer bear it. About inexperienced personnel who are thrown in their place and are expected to handle advanced murder investigations.

The conclusion: Without experienced staff, the police have no chance against organized crime.

Every police officer who is old in the game is invaluable to the organization. Still, over 3,000 have left.

At this stage, every single policeman who is old in the game is invaluable to the organization. Still have over 3,000 left authority since 2014. And that is excluding retirements.

The police cannot afford to lose more employees. The resource additions should mainly be aimed at retaining those who already work there.

Because it testifies to a heavy workload and poor opportunities to develop in the career. But most important for wanting to stay in the profession is a higher salary, according to the Police Association.

Despite the fact that wages have been raised In recent years, almost one in three police officers feels compelled to work overtime to make ends meet.

SEK 400 million annually has now been earmarked to make the profession more attractive.

There is much to suggest that the government will need to dig even deeper into its wallet.

Read several texts by Emma Høen Bustos.

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