Hampshire Chief Constable Olivia Pinkney's £200,000 pay package highest in country
AMID budget cuts and station closures Hampshire’s top cop was paid more than £200,000 in salary and benefits last year.
Chief Constable Olivia Pinkney was one of the 12 highest earning police chiefs across the UK in 2017/18, a Daily Mail investigation found.
Her overall 2017/18 package consisted of a base salary of £166,537, which was boosted by £34,356 in pension contributions and £3,266 in bonuses. She takes home more than Prime Minster Theresa May, who has a £150,000 salary, the figures show.
When she started the role in 2016, her starting salary was £141,599, rising annually to £173,065 by 2020. Her rate is set by Hampshire Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) Michael Lane.
The revelation comes as Mr Lane proposes a £2 rise to Hampshire Police’s share of the council tax for 2019/20 – the most allowed under new powers granted by the government.
Ch. Cons. Pinkney, meanwhile, has been a vocal critic of government cuts to police budgets, which in recent years have caused the force to find new efficient ways of working and close the public front desks at most New Forest-based stations.
Under the latest government police pay agreement, chief constables must receive at least £136,677, but that can be affected by the size of the force they head and the level of demand they face.
All police pension schemes see officers get a taxpayer-funded employer contribution of 21.3% of their pay, on top of the individual officer’s contribution.
Responding to the figures, Mr Lane said: “Police and Crime Commissioners have the ability to set their chief constable's salary at up to 10% above or below the rate determined by the Home Office.
“The rate takes into account the size of the force and level of crime demand. Ms Pinkney's starting salary was set at 10% below the Home Office rate, rising gradually over the term of her contract subject to satisfactory performance.
“Any increase also includes the general increase in pay to offset rising costs of living, which was agreed for all police officers.”
