NEW bobbies on the beat in Hampshire will be saved from the government call to slash their wages.
From April they will be on £21,500 a year, £2,500 more than the £19,000 recommended by government.
Trained recruits qualified to patrol on their own will receive £22,000. Current new officers receive £23,000 a year.
John Apter, chairman of Hampshire Police Federation said: ‘It’s the right thing to do because policing is a very difficult profession.
‘It would be morally wrong for a police officer to be paid less than a PCSO with all the additional powers and responsibilities that they have.’
Hampshire Police and Crime Commissioner Simon Hayes said: ‘Policing is a vocation – for that reason this joint decision was taken to ensure we recruit and train only the finest calibre of candidate to protect the people and places across the two counties of Hampshire and Isle of Wight.
Chief Constable Andy Marsh said: ‘Both the Police and Crime Commissioner and I respect the challenges, demands and sometimes dangers of policing and, to both attract and retain suitable candidates to carry out these roles requires a suitable salary.’
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