Perks Of Being A Police Officer

RWA61994

Hi Guys

Ive been doing a bit of research into the "perks" that come with the job of being a police officer within the PSNI -

PFNI Membership
Access to Newforge facilities (pitches, gyms, etc)
BUPA Healthcare


Anyone shed anymore light onto this type of thing, i find it very interesting?

DesertCreat_15

A perk for me is actually getting paid to be out and about helping people!

Not too sure of any other 'monetary' kinda perks like above :P

biker701

Does Dominoes discount for Emergency Services personnel count?:pac:

Goonerdee

biker701 wrote: »

Does Dominoes discount for Emergency Services personnel count?:pac:

Plus Loyalty Hot drinks from McDonalds.

Dekkers

I guess it depends on how corrupt you intend to be

wannabe2010

No jury duty (from the mind of biker701)

biker701

Watching full episodes of This Morning wasn't fun let me tells ya!

wannabe2010

Wait. You forgot the biggest perk of all.. fast cars and sirens and stuff

notbrazil

DesertCreat_15 wrote: »

A perk for me is actually getting paid to be out and about helping people!

I'd love to hear your opinion after a year or so in the job, but I admire your optimism.

The perks, in order of importance, are as follows:-

1) Overtime
2) ...

Even the thought of overtime being a 'perk' starts to fade towards the end of a 14 hour shift.

The PFNI membership isn't really a 'perk' as such as you don't get much out of it. The BUPA healthcare is still expensive and the discount is fairly negligible. I ended up taking out cover from a different health insurance provider. Newforge facilities? Never heard of anyone using them but I guess it could be done. Gyms in police stations are generally pretty good. Domino's discount? Hardly worth the surly looks you get from the staff when trying to avail of it.

I know in other parts of the UK and elsewhere in the world - where police are actually valued - there are 'perks' available such as free train travel (London forces).

KissMyAxe

notbrazil wrote: »

I'd love to hear your opinion after a year or so in the job, but I admire your optimism.

The perks, in order of importance, are as follows:-

1) Overtime
2) ...

Even the thought of overtime being a 'perk' starts to fade towards the end of a 14 hour shift.

The PFNI membership isn't really a 'perk' as such as you don't get much out of it. The BUPA healthcare is still expensive and the discount is fairly negligible. I ended up taking out cover from a different health insurance provider. Newforge facilities? Never heard of anyone using them but I guess it could be done. Gyms in police stations are generally pretty good. Domino's discount? Hardly worth the surly looks you get from the staff when trying to avail of it.

I know in other parts of the UK and elsewhere in the world - where police are actually valued - there are 'perks' available such as free train travel (London forces).

Hi NotBrazil,

I'm intrigued about overtime, especially in regards to whether it is voluntary or not. Right at the very start before applying I always thought it was there to be taken if you wanted it, but then at the information session it was drilled home to us that very often it isn't voluntary and that those of us who are lucky enough to see the process through to the end should expect long days and even longer nights.

What's your experience of how voluntary it really is? I mean do you have the right to turn it down if it doesn't suit or even if you just don't want to? Or is that just completely looked down on?

Btw don't get me wrong - I'd be up for working as much overtime as I am physically and mentally able to!

KissMyAxe

KissMyAxe wrote: »

Hi NotBrazil,

I'm intrigued about overtime, especially in regards to whether it is voluntary or not. Right at the very start before applying I always thought it was there to be taken if you wanted it, but then at the information session it was drilled home to us that very often it isn't voluntary and that those of us who are lucky enough to see the process through to the end should expect long days and even longer nights.

What's your experience of how voluntary it really is? I mean do you have the right to turn it down if it doesn't suit or even if you just don't want to? Or is that just completely looked down on?

Btw don't get me wrong - I'd be up for working as much overtime as I am physically and mentally able to!

It's voluntary insofar if you don't want to do a x1.5 shift or x2 that there is nearly always someone who wants to do it. But after shifts working is the most common overtime, no one will take it off you (unless you have a large section and someone owes you a favour), and it has to be done. And it's not voluntary. But it all adds up to usually a fair wee chunk extra per month.

notbrazil

KissMyAxe wrote: »

Hi NotBrazil,

I'm intrigued about overtime, especially in regards to whether it is voluntary or not. Right at the very start before applying I always thought it was there to be taken if you wanted it, but then at the information session it was drilled home to us that very often it isn't voluntary and that those of us who are lucky enough to see the process through to the end should expect long days and even longer nights.

What's your experience of how voluntary it really is? I mean do you have the right to turn it down if it doesn't suit or even if you just don't want to? Or is that just completely looked down on?

Btw don't get me wrong - I'd be up for working as much overtime as I am physically and mentally able to!

It's voluntary to the extent that you can either do all of it or none of it. You can ask to go 'zero rated' whereby you just work your contract hours and will never ever get even one measly hour of overtime. I've never met anyone who has done this.

Other than that, it's not voluntary at all. Whilst you can usually find someone to take a @1.5 shift off you (paid at time and a half rate), it very much depends on the district. Where I work, offloading overtime is difficult because everyone is working to maximum capacity. 100-150 hours overtime is not uncommon and 70+ per month is routine. If you are detailed to work the overtime, you are expected to do it. Good money, but no life.

As Testarossa said, the most common overtime is where they turn an 8 or 10 hours shift into a 12 hour one, and the rate of pay for the extra hours worked is not very good.

Shield

Someone I know in Strandtown Station, East Belfast told me there's a Subway close to the Station on the Holywood Road that gives 20% off to serving Emergency Services personnel.

The Esporta Gym near the Police College apparently have preferential rates for civil and public servants too. I think it's called Virgin Fitness or something similar because Branson and Company have taken it over.

Unfortunately, the facilities at Newforge just aren't worth the asking membership price and you would think that a gym specifically there for Peelers would have decent opening hours wouldn't you? Closes at 7:30pm on Thursday and Friday, and 1pm on Saturday and Sunday.

Don't try to use the warrant card as an international disco pass though, as it's likely to get you a good kicking instead of a parting of the waters a la Moses which is what you had probably initially hoped for. Same applies for trying to get into a concert for free or backstage later. Bad, Bad, Bad idea. That's the kind of thing they can bin you for these days.

RWA61994

Shield wrote: »

Someone I know in Strandtown Station, East Belfast told me there's a Subway close to the Station on the Holywood Road that gives 20% off to serving Emergency Services personnel.

The Esporta Gym near the Police College apparently have preferential rates for civil and public servants too. I think it's called Virgin Fitness or something similar because Branson and Company have taken it over.

Unfortunately, the facilities at Newforge just aren't worth the asking membership price and you would think that a gym specifically there for Peelers would have decent opening hours wouldn't you? Closes at 7:30pm on Thursday and Friday, and 1pm on Saturday and Sunday.

Don't try to use the warrant card as an international disco pass though, as it's likely to get you a good kicking instead of a parting of the waters a la Moses which is what you had probably initially hoped for. Same applies for trying to get into a concert for free or backstage later. Bad, Bad, Bad idea. That's the kind of thing they can bin you for these days.

Id play a lot of sports, such as football/cricket etc so what opportunities are there to do this within the force?

biker701

RWA61994 wrote: »

Id play a lot of sports, such as football/cricket etc so what opportunities are there to do this within the force?

They have a Cricket team as well as a football team. Don't really know anything about either but they have a football match on tomorrow if you wanted to go and see them in action.

Linky http://www.psnifootballclub.co.uk/

Bob Law

biker701 wrote: »

They have a Cricket team as well as a football team. Don't really know anything about either but they have a football match on tomorrow if you wanted to go and see them in action.

Linky http://www.psnifootballclub.co.uk/

All this talk of secrecy aroud the work and there's a website dedicated to showing names, players and locationsof games?!

Space_Invader

Bob Law wrote: »

All this talk of secrecy aroud the work and there's a website dedicated to showing names, players and locationsof games?!

I don't think the showing of names is too big of a deal. Officers have to wear name badges whilst in uniform anyway. Does any know if you actually have to be in the PSNI to play for them? I know this isn't the case for the NI Tridents ice hockey team.

Bob Law

You can surely see where I'm coming from though. A quick look on that site and you can pair a name & face to a location...

DesertCreat_15

I have a mate in the cricket club ! They did quite well at the World Police and Fire games

J.0

Yeah, it wouldn't be too difficult to narrow a search area for those particular officers.

I was under the impression though that the PSNI still didn't wear name badges...

Has this changed?

MissWillow12

J.0 wrote: »

Yeah, it wouldn't be too difficult to narrow a search area for those particular officers.

I was under the impression though that the PSNI still didn't wear name badges...

Has this changed?

I think it depends on where they are i.e on patrol, out and about they don't seem to wear them but in around the station they do wear them.

Homer01

J.0 wrote: »

Yeah, it wouldn't be too difficult to narrow a search area for those particular officers.

I was under the impression though that the PSNI still didn't wear name badges...

Has this changed?

I believe this is one of Patten's recommendations. I've seen on the local community officers.
Like MissWillow said I'm sure it's done on a station by station basis depending on security situation.

I do think it is a good idea in certain situations.

RWA61994

DesertCreat_15 wrote: »

I have a mate in the cricket club ! They did quite well at the World Police and Fire games

Yeah if i got in id really like to take part in the teams, if i had time with all the paperwork of course!

DesertCreat_15

If you get in this time around, you might make it to the next World Police Fire games in Virginia in 2015! :P

Bob Law

DesertCreat_15 wrote: »

If you get in this time around, you might make it to the next World Police Fire games in Virginia in 2015! :P

You'll need the OT to pay your own way there. PSNI / Fireservice were woefully underfunded for this international event.

DesertCreat_15

Bob Law wrote: »

You'll need the OT to pay your own way there. PSNI / Fireservice were woefully underfunded for this international event.

IIRC that may be because they actually helped to fund it in one way shape or form, or are you talking about events in the past, not just the last one in NI?

Anyway, i'd gladly pay my own way to it if , the craic we had with some mounties and southern australian firefighters was phenomenal!

Bob Law

DesertCreat_15 wrote: »

IIRC that may be because they actually helped to fund it in one way shape or form, or are you talking about events in the past, not just the last one in NI?

Anyway, i'd gladly pay my own way to it if , the craic we had with some mounties and southern australian firefighters was phenomenal!

Funding for the current and previous events.

Time off to compete was a joke. Friends of mine in the Fire Service were forced off the Rugby team as they couldn't get the time to compete. Police friends having to beg time off from their co-workers.

There was talk of some of the teams having to buy their own kits, no support from their superiors at all.

I'd love to enter some of the comps myself, but I don't feel like it would be a case of "Good man, Bob you go represent our proud uniform, here's the time off and the support you need" opposed to "FFS Bob, no time off and here's a boot in the hole for good measure".