Police bonuses just the start

Reacting to the news that Sir Paul Stephenson has called for an end to police bonuses, Green Party Home Affairs spokesperson and member of the Metropolitan Police Authority, Jenny Jones said:

"I am delighted that Sir Paul Stephenson has publicly stated that police officer bonuses should be scrapped. In times of budget cuts it seems a sensible move, and I hope the Mayor supports him on this.

"In the light of news this week that spending on police has grown by 50% over the last ten years, we need to find savings where we can. As overtime payments have increased by 90%, despite a growing workforce, I am urging the Mayor and the Met to look at changing working practices to reduce the excessive reliance on overtime for both staff
and officers.

"Looking at the bonus system is just the start of what needs to be a comprehensive review of police spending".

Notes to editors

Overtime figure taken from Centre for Crime and Justice Studies report http://www.crimeandjustice.org.uk/prpolicespendingbriefing.html