Poaching officers from neighbouring forces

Freedom of information request reference no: 01.FOI.22.025689

I note you seek access to the following information:

Poaching officers from neighbouring forces with £5,000 signing-on bonuses - Daily Mail

Daily Mail:
"Scotland Yard has been accused of foul play for poaching large numbers of officers from neighbouring forces with a £5,000 ‘signing on bonus’."

1. On what date did you start offering the £5,000 joining bonuses?

2. Since the date you started offering the joining bonuses -
a. How many officers have you recruited?
b. How many of the officers recruited have received the £5,000 joining bonus?

Decision

I have today decided to disclose the located information to you.

Please find below information pursuant to your request above.

The targeted variable payment of £5,000 for officers transferring to the MPS from another force was introduced on 1 June for transferees joining the MPS before the end of December 22. The recruitment process for transferees takes c3 months.

The payment is also being made to those people who had already applied to transfer to us prior to the scheme being launched and subsequently joined after 1st June. In June and July that is 12 transferees who have received the payment. During this same time period (June and July) the MPS have recruited 438 new officers across all of our police officer entry routes.

Q1 - On what date did you start offering the £5,000 joining bonuses?

This was on the 1 June 2022.

Q2 - Since the date you started offering the joining bonuses -
Q2a - How many officers have you recruited?

The MPS have recruited 438 (June and July intakes) officers in total during this period of which a small proportion are transferees.

Q2b - How many of the officers recruited have received the £5,000 joining bonus?

There have been 12 transferees that have received this payment to date.