‘Gardening Leave’ with full pay!

It has been revealed that tax payers are shelling out £8million a year to keep suspended police officers on full pay.

A series of Freedom of information Act disclosures of the UK’s 52 police forces has shown that the vast majority of police forces have suspended officers on full annual salaries after being put on long-term "gardening leave" for alleged disciplinary breaches. Only four police forces had no officers suspended.

When it is considered that the average time for suspension is 10 months (although in some cases it can be much longer) and the average police officers wage is £30 000 per annum, this is a lot of wasted money, that could be better spent elsewhere.

Devon and Cornwall Constabulary had 10 officers suspended on full pay as of 1st January 2008 at a cost of many thousands of pounds to the Cornish tax payer. With 10 officers on full pay Devon and Cornwall Constabulary parried with Greater Manchester police force. In March 2004 one Devon and Cornwall police officer was suspended on full pay for almost two years and the investigation that subsequently took place into his suspension cost between £200,000 and £400,000.

It is little wonder that Devon and Cornwall Constabulary are increasing their share of the Council tax way above the rate of inflation!