Inside the secret police forum which reveals what officers REALLY think of the British public and why morale is at an all-time low
On an anonymous corner of Reddit, rank-and-file police officers have been lifting the lid on life behind the thin blue line.In post after post on the Police UK forum, the picture that emerges in one of exhaustion, anxiety and collapsing morale.Contributors express creeping doubts about the future of policing - with some admitting they are actively plotting their escape routes.One officer announced they had already quit, while another confessed that, for the first time, they had seriously considered handing in their warrant card after a bruising shift.Others piled in to agree: staffing shortages, relentless workloads and what they see as a lack of backing from the top are driving many to breaking point.The frustration expressed online comes as Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood reveals plans to "significantly" cut the number of forces across England and Wales.Ms Mahmood intends to cut the current 43 constabularies to 12 'mega forces' more focused on serious and organised crime.In one post, titled 'Officially just left the job', one fed-up police officer states: 'After several years in policing I have decided to step away.' On an anonymous corner of Reddit, rank-and-file police officers have been lifting the lid on life behind the thin blue lineHe tells of his 'complete admiration' for colleagues 'resilient and agile enough to carry on in the current climate' but concedes: 'I could reel off many reasons as to why I am leaving but morale is already low enough.''You have done the right thing,' comes a reply. 'I hope you now get to enjoy not working night shifts!'Another writes: 'It’s a shame but sadly it’s the only way forward until people can do the job with adequate resources and conditions.''Best decision you'll ever make. Becoming a police officer puts you in a prison in every aspect of your life. You are literally beneath the public,' adds a third. 'Never put yourself in that position.'In another insightful thread, another anonymous police officer tells how he is thinking of leaving his job - despite being 'very proud' of his three-year career on response duties.'I’m finding myself changing in recent months. I no longer get that sense of excitement to come into work, the times where I actually feel like I’m making a difference are few and far between.'I’m getting snappier with people, getting into petty arguments with suspects where I usually pride myself on being the calm cop who can talk someone down quite well, but the biggest thing affecting me is I’m losing sleep.'He candidly goes to reveal his worries 'that I’m worried that the suicidal person I went to will do it or that the domestic abuser 'is going to end up doing real damage'.'I worry about the people I can’t help and whether I’ve done enough for the people that I can. I worry about the scrutiny that is literally everywhere in this job'.There are also frank discussions about the use of force in custody, with officers debating what is - and isn’t - acceptable, amid worries that even split-second decisions could later be judged harshly.Elsewhere, posters ask whether policing has any real future at all, questioning recruitment, retention and whether the job is still worth the personal costOne poster writes: 'The whole system is fundamentally broken.'Money seems to be pumped into random new "teams" and "units" that are staffed by removing cops from the frontline. Those experienced cops which are left move into something else because they can see the ship sinking.Which leaves you with a tiny amount of officers on the frontline, who are being managed and trained by officers who have less than three years service.'Recruitment standards are appalling, forces are forced by the government to hit a certain 'quota' of officers and if they don't meet that they get fined, which means that forces recruit anyone just to meet the quota so they don't get fined.'Another replies to the question 'are things looking good for the future of policing?' in blunt terms: 'Is it f*** lol'.One commenter adds: 'Basically, things are dire, morale across the board is ridiculously low.Bobbies are strung up and they are the perfect scapegoat.Cuts, savings, whatever you want to call them put added stress on the remainder.They add: 'I love the job, I hate the direction it has gone. I have absolutely been considering career change.'The forum also exposes a quieter struggle of neurodiversity and mental health. One thread raises eyebrows over whether police can receive payment for appearing in documentaries - sparked by discussion of a Netflix film about convicted baby killer Lucy Letby Police officers also use the forum to discuss colleagues - and superiors - hauled up for alleged wrongdoing (Pictured: Perry Lathwood)Several officers speak openly about living with ADHD on the job, describing concentration issues, paperwork pressures and the stigma they feel from colleagues.Others ask how to access therapy or psychologists through the service, saying they are desperate for professional support as stress levels surge.Then are are practical concerns. A thread raises eyebrows over whether police can receive payment for appearing in documentaries - sparked by discussion of a Netflix film about convicted baby killer Lucy Letby.Perhaps most telling of all are the posts about misconduct rules, with officers voicing fears that their careers could over mistakes they believe are inevitable in such a pressured role.One former officer tells how he resigned after being subjected to a misconduct investigation in which he was ultimately told he had 'no case to answer'.He said: 'Leaving the police was the hardest professional decision I've made. I loved the job completely and I still miss it now.'I also realised that there was a huge amount of effort both by the IOPC and the force itself to scapegoat me. And then once I was cleared act like my best mate. It was weirdly similar to the dv [domestic violent\ relationships we deal with.'I never understood until I went through the investigation why people kill themselves. But I did by the end. The rejection and attack on my character was really s***.'The police need people that are part of the new intake to stay. I didn't expect to leave for many years.'Police officers also use the forum to discuss colleagues - and superiors - hauled up for alleged wrongdoing.Of Met PC Petty Lathwood, who was last year given a written warning for calling a woman a 'daft cow' after arresting her for bus fare evasion, one said: 'So 'daft cow' is misconduct serious enough to mean a written warning now?'How have we, as a society, got here?!'Another added: 'We need another national lock down.'Hopefully after several months of sitting by themselves and living off Just Eat deliveries, everyone will come back outside but not as soft and totally offended as after the last one.'Three in four said their pay does not reflect the dangers they face.Tiff Lynch, chair of the Police Federation and Nick Smart, president of the Police Superintendents’ Association, told the Telegraph last June that the 'service is in crisis'.They said: 'When a young constable looks down at their payslip and wonders how they’ll make rent this month, something is deeply wrong.When experienced detectives walk away from decades of service, broken by the demands placed on them, it’s the police service itself that’s broken.When chief inspectors and superintendents – often the most senior officers on duty overnight across entire counties – are battling burnout and crushing stress, it becomes a national emergency.Despite this, police are being asked to do more with less – again – as pressure mounts on already overstretched budgets.'Join the debateWhat needs to change for police officers to feel supported in their jobs again?
