Former police officer Norman Brennan said he was "ashamed" of the recruitment crisis facing British police forces after Australian authorities launched a targeted drive for British officers dissatisfied with their working environment.
South Australian Police recently launched its campaign to attract over 200 experienced officers from the UK and other countries.
Speaking to GB News Brennan explained: "Many good, hard-working, retired, experienced police officers left the police service a decade ago, and more have left every year since.
"The Australian Police Service has rightly recognised that it's not just this country, many others are experiencing the same.
Norman Brennan blasted senior management as "out of touch"
GB News
"They've even brought their commissioner over to speak with UK police officers, to explain the kind of policing they offer.
"I'm ashamed to say that after 46 years in policing and law and order in Britain, 31 of those as a frontline officer. I've never seen morale so low within the police service."
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"I've never seen senior management so out of touch. There's no vision, no passion, and a clear lack of leadership.
"Morale is so low that, for example, in the Met last year, their intake retention after 12 months was minimal.
"Police officers feel like they’re the scapegoats of society. Every time something goes wrong, the police get the blame."
He added: "So many police officers in Britain have had enough.
"This is an opportunity for some and I believe many will apply. But they’ll have to carry a firearm and consider trying something new, perhaps getting out of a country that many of us now see as broken. And the police service is broken too."
Their recruitment video features SAPOL Commissioner Grant Stevens in a humorous scene where a media wall is pulled away to reveal him wearing beach shorts on a sunny shore.
This comes as Police Scotland faces critical staffing issues, with almost a quarter of officers eligible to retire by next summer, or currently on modified duties or sick leave.
Nearly 50,000 Britons have already moved to Australia on working holiday visas in 2025 alone.
South Australian Police have launched a campaign to attract over 200 experienced officers from the UK
GETTYA recent survey of 10,000 UK officers revealed alarming financial struggles, with one in five wanting to take second jobs to make ends meet.
For those with less than a year in service, 13 per cent were already exploring other career options. Federation chiefs report that some officers have resorted to using food banks.
The survey, conducted by Metfriendly, found 55 per cent of officers felt financial stress was severely affecting their wellbeing.
Approximately 9,000 officers left policing in England and Wales last year.
