A motivated and skilled police force is a prerequisite for being able to fight crime. The police profession is demanding. Police officers must be able to work in stressful conditions and make decisions that are about ensuring the safety of the public. They must be able to intervene with muscle power and create respect and security. They must be able to trust their colleague and work together seamlessly.
When the Police Authority further forced to lower the requirements for new police officers it is obvious that the starting salary is too low. Those who are best suited apply for other professions.
Now that the Armed Forces is also to be expanded, it will be even more difficult for the police to recruit physically and mentally suitable personnel because the Armed Forces and the police make similar demands on their employees.
The police have for several years failed to recruit sufficiently competent staff, which of course wears on the well-qualified police officers. For them, incompetent colleagues can be a burden.
To reverse the gloomy trend in shootings and unsolved crimes, police must raise salaries. The police authority must accept that the most suitable choose other, less demanding and more well-paid jobs otherwise.
It is also urgent, otherwise we risk ending up in a situation where the criminals become stronger and easier to recruit young men who also want interesting and well-paid jobs – on the other side of the law’s raw marks.