by Danny Boyle

Kent Police awarded their staff £4.5m in bonuses last year to reward or retain employees.

The cash was paid on top of wages to almost 3,900 officers and civilian workers – the equivalent of payouts of more than £1,100 to each one.

According to figures released under the Freedom of Information Act, the force made the payments for “especially demanding” work and to reward employees who went beyond the call of duty.

But it admits to awarding bonuses to some officers posted close to the border with London in an attempt to address “retention difficulties” – to prevent them transferring to the Met Police.

Figures show Kent Police spent a total of £13.7m on bonuses over the last three years, including another £4.5m in 2007 and £4.7m in 2006.

According to a published survey of forces to respond across the country, Kent’s £4.5m bonuses in 2008 was the second most generous after West Midlands Police, which splashed out £6m.

The Taxpayers’ Alliance blasted the practice of doling out bonuses to staff for everyday police work.

Chief executive Matthew Elliott said: “Bonuses can be useful tools for rewarding exceptional service or encouraging people to hit targets, but it is excessive to hand them out just for doing the basic job.

“Taxpayers shouldn’t have to pay millions extra just to get the core job of policing done.”

Kent Police said it would be “difficult and impractical” to break the figures down into officers’ rank or give specifics about payments, and was not able to provide details for each force area.

The £4.5m figure for 2008 included £2.7m given under the Special Priority Payments scheme, which allows the force to give bonuses of up to £3,000.

These are granted when a staff members’ role is deemed to involve a greater responsibility than is normal for the rank, presents difficulties in recruitment and retaining staff, or where there are “especially demanding” working conditions.

Elsewhere, “honoraria” payments were made to employees who undertook “significant duties beyond the normal requirement of their post”.
Last year, £206,263 was paid to 324 staff under this category – or the equivalent to £636 each.

Kent Police said: “The Force Remuneration Panel meets monthly to decide who should receive a bonus. This is as established under the Police Pay and Conditions package agreed by the Police Negotiating Board.”