Former Met officer Tanya Tidey moved Down Under in previous recruitment round
(Picture: Western Australia Police)Met Police officers are being tempted to move Down Under by higher pay and sunshine, an Australian police force has claimed.
Western Australia Police issued a plea for officers from the UK, Ireland and New Zealand to join them four months ago - and says it has since seen a “large number” apply from the Met.
Perks being offered to those upping sticks across the world include a £47,000 starting salary and six weeks paid annual leave. Met officers start on “over £33,500” including allowances.
WA Police said it had received around 750 applications so far, 555 applications of which are from England. Recruiters said of the 555, it had noticed a “large number” from the Met.
The force’s top cop Col Blanch praised ex-Met recruits and said: “WA Police Force commenced an international recruit campaign in October and since then about 750 applications have been received.
“I’m personally aware a number of those applications come from officers from the Met and I wish them all the best in the process.
“Western Australia is a fantastic place to live and work as a police officer – it is full of natural beauty and spectacular weather, and a fantastic community that is supportive of police.”
Two former Met officers, Sgt Andrew Dueman and Sgt Tanya Tidey, are the faces of the recruitment drive, having both moved around fifteen years ago in an earlier round.
“I look back and say to myself, I would probably not have had the same opportunities I would’ve had if I was still a police officer in London,” said dad-of-five Sgt Dueman.
According to the latest available data, the Metropolitan Police has 34,000 officers, the largest police force in the country.
In 2019, the Government pledged 20,000 new officers on the streets by May 2023, with around 4,500 earmarked for the Met.
In his turnaround plan for the force, Met Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley has pledged to recruit more local officers and PCSOs to create “London’s largest ever neighbourhood police presence”.
Being offered to new-starters are a “competitive starting salary of over £33,500” and “endless career opportunities” in policing a world city.
A Met Police spokesperson declined to comment on those applying for jobs in Western Australia.
It comes after a survey of 36,000 rank-and-file officers by the UK Police Federation published earlier this month warned existing officers are at “breaking point” over pay and conditions.
It found that nearly one in five officers nationally intended to resign within the next two years over pay and conditions.
Releasing the national survey, Police Federation National Chair Steve Hartshorn said “record numbers” were heading for the door.
“We are losing some exceptional officers simply because they cannot afford to stay in the service with an alarming number unable to afford monthly essentials,” he said.
