Starting salaries for police officers to increase by 8%

But government warns this will impact 'overstretched' budgets

Starting salaries for police officers on the Isle of Man will be increased by eight per cent.

The Department of Home Affairs has supported a pay award of £1,900 per officer but has warned this will create challenges for already ‘overstretched’ budgets.

Senior officers will receive an uplift of between 0.6 per cent and three per cent.

The pay award represents an increase to the Isle of Man Constabulary’s pay budget of six per cent but in this year’s Budget only two per cent was allocated, from Treasury, for pay awards.

Highlighting the issue of pay, in his latest annual report, Chief Constable Gary Roberts warned that without change a ‘crisis may emerge’.

He revealed many officers were ‘struggling to make ends meet’ – with young officers unable to get onto the housing ladder and some officers unable to afford dental treatment:

In June the Isle of Man Police Federation told Manx Radio some officers were living ‘hand to mouth’ and being forced into doing overtime out of ‘financial necessity’ just to make ends meet.

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Chief Constable Roberts says he accepts that many people are struggling with the lasting effects of the pandemic and because of inflation but believes the ‘damaging consequences’ of low pay could affect the wider community:

“There will inevitably by challenges for already stretched police budgets which will affect other areas of the department’s budget as we try and cover this increase.” – Department of Home Affairs