By Graham Huband

THE CHRISTMAS pay packets of more than 100 Tayside police officers are set to swell by £2000 each because of the demands of “direct contact with the public.”

In total, 141 lead constables pick up the ‘special priority payment’ in their December wage in recognition of their work in “particularly demanding areas” such as public interaction.

The police personnel sub- committee heard yesterday that the payments were made annually and were targeted at “frontline operational officers.”

A further 102 uniformed sergeants are also in line for a £1200 payment under the terms of the scheme, while 223 other officers and civilian staff are due to receive payments ranging from £800 to £2000.

In total, £684,000 will be dished out to officers next month under the special priority scheme, which is only one element of a three-tier incentives package.

Officers also have the chance to apply for a ‘competency related threshold payment’ of up to £1062 per annum for showing professional competence, commitment, willingness to learn and fostering good relations with the public.

In total, 434 officers were deemed to have made the grade by the end of October and have been awarded the payment.

The third element is a simple bonus scheme that allows chief constables to reward “outstandingly demanding, unpleasant or important” work.

Thirty-nine officers received payments from the bonus fund in the first 10 months of 2007 with an overall cost to the force’s revenue budget of £1450 in the current financial year.

The sub-committee heard the combined cost to Tayside of the various schemes was £1.16 million so far, although it is likely that further payments will be made prior to the end of the financial year on March 31.

Force human resources director Moira Docherty said the special priority payment scheme had caused some “consternation” among officers as payments had to be made within very specific criteria.

The scheme—which was brought in following national negotiations in 2002—requires 2% of the force’s budgeted basic pay bill to be allocated to special priority payments but it stipulates that only between 20% and 40% of working officers can be eligible to receive them.

Councillor George Regan said it seemed the scheme lacked “logic or sense.”

Ms Docherty said the force was simply discharging its responsibilities and was making sure the majority of payments went to frontline operational officers.

The board also heard that absence levels amongst operational officers had dropped this year compared to last.

However, the proportion of civilian staff going off sick rose slightly over the year, although actual days lost fell because of a reduction in the number of staff.