NCJ Number
113602
Journal
Police Journal Volume: 61 Issue: 3 Dated: (July-September 1988) Pages: 225-233
Date Published
1988
Length
9 pages
Annotation
Because they work in extremely difficult and dangerous circumstances, members of the Royal Ulster Constabulary (R.U.C.) are paid a temporary Special Duty Allowance, an amount not paid to law enforcement officers in other parts of Britain.
Abstract
The Special Duty Allowance was made a part of the pay for all ranks of the R.U.C. in July 1974. Originally set at 50 pence a day, the allowance now amounts to 1,221 British pounds per year. The allowance is paid monthly, is non-pensionable, subject to income tax, and is separate from calculations for any other payment such as overtime. In the 14 years that the allowance has been in effect, the political and police-keeping situation in Northern Ireland has not been ameliorated. If the allowance were to be made a permanent payment, the R.U.C. pay would be out of line with the pay of police in most other parts of the United Kingdom. Additionally, because the allowance is paid by the central government, it can be subject to national budget constraints. Therefore, while the R.U.C. has been receiving the 'temporary' extra pay for some time, it has very few legal or contractual rights in relation to the allowance. Making the allowance a permanent part of R.U.C. salaries would be too costly for approval by the central government. An uneasy status quo exists at present. 11 footnotes.