Equality in wages has been a rampant issue among the workforce since time immemorial. We all deserve equal payment in our rendered work, in accordance with our position. This same principle applies to our fellow police force. They have the primary duty to take care of peace and order in our community, which is a challenging task to comply. There appears an essential question in mind—does the police force deserve a better salary? Do they earn the merit to have better remuneration, even when the public clamors for “police defunding?” Today, we will learn if a better salary equates to a better performance of the police. Will they do their jobs in a more ethical, responsible manner?
Does a Fairer Salary Equate to Better Performance?
Have you ever been asked by an employer how much is your expected salary? In fact, they will always ask this to know if you can give them a fair offer in accordance with your skills and experience. It also aims to get just compensation on your part.
This concept of fairness is also applicable to the police force. A fair salary promises better performance among police officers. But is it really? We’ll take a look at the police performance with regards to their remuneration.
According to the research of NBER, a salary that is below the police’s expectations results in lower arrest rates and a decline in sentence length. Even if they are given a raise, it can still reduce the police’s performance, especially if it is below their reference point. There are several theories on why a low pay raise can reduce the cop’s performance. However, if the cops are given a higher salary within their reference point, arrest rates can hit the roof.
As we have already mentioned in the introduction, people are motivated by the gleam of money. The uniqueness of a police’s job, according to the Police Federation of England and Wales (PFEW), is enough reason to give our cops a fair salary. Based on their research, more and more police officers are clamoring for a more reasonable salary. Only 36% of the surveyed cops can meet their monthly financial expenses without having to ask for financial help, while 1 out of 8 officers admit that they had to seek financial support to meet their daily needs.
Any worker can give their full potential if they are compensated fairly. If they are given a high salary, they feel motivated to do their job so that they can retain their position in their jobs. A higher salary means a person feels more financial security in their life. No matter how many work hours a worker devotes, it will not be in vain as long as the worker is fairly compensated for their work.
“Money makes the world go round,” as the adage says. A fair salary means better work output and higher retention rates for everyone, the police force included. Therefore, better compensation for the police force is essential to maintain peace and order in the community. With a reasonable salary, the police force will execute their duties more humanely. However, the public must remain vigilant in monitoring police works. Police abuse deserves to be apprehended so that the police force can filter “the good and bad” guys among them.
This article was prepared by the Association Against Abuse of Police Powers and Privileges (AAAPPP), a UK not-for-profit organisation specializing in assisting victims of abuse of power and corruption in the UK Police.
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