Chief Constable Mark Hobrough told Monmouthshire councillors that the 1,535-officer force has had to fund record overtime payments and pull neighbourhood officers from community policing to meet demand. He said that if the trend continues next year, he would consider cheaper alternatives, including an 'almost zero hours-type situation' to bring in detectives for interviews or special investigations, even from outside the force's boundary. However, he stressed that any such arrangement 'has to be of the same quality' and that he did not want to risk burnout among his staff.
Hobrough expressed concern for the welfare of his officers, particularly younger ones. 'They are the same people going to these incidents... They are young officers doing an outstanding job and I want to make sure we are looking after them and they stay with us long term,' he said.
He referenced one particularly harrowing dog attack involving a baby as an 'absolute tragedy', noting that neighbourhood officers were first on the scene and that such incidents leave trauma. 'It's about making sure we look after the teams, to support them and keep them in service and healthy and leave healthy,' he added.
No specific details have been released on how the zero-hours detective scheme would operate or where the additional officers would come from. The force is monitoring the situation as it continues to manage a caseload that is far above historical norms.