DJs, beekeepers and reiki healers: The bizarre second jobs of the UK police force as it is revealed 1 in 7 cops have additional employment
One in every seven police officers and staff have a second job outside policing, a Mail investigation can reveal.
More than 33,000 have additional employment, including driving for Deliveroo, DJing, beekeeping and running a teashop.
In some forces, the number of officers with a second job has quadrupled since 2019.
Retired officers and the Police Federation said the numbers reflected poor pay levels that have forced cash-strapped police to register extra work as scaffolders, painters and checkout assistants.
But other policing figures stressed that at least 422 senior officers of chief inspector rank or higher have second jobs or business interests, indicating many are just supplementing their pay.
Former Bedfordshire police and crime commissioner, Festus Akinbusoye, said it was a worry that for many officers, a second job may become more important than serving the public.
'The worry is that if it's easier to make money through other employment then it might be tempting to turn their back on policing altogether,' he added.
Freedom of Information responses from 37 of the 43 police forces in England and Wales show 33,669 officers and staff have registered business interests.
One in every seven police officers and staff have a second job outside policing, a Mail investigation can reveal (Stock image)
Beekeeping is among the surprising additional jobs taken up by police officers looking to supplement their income
DJing is another second job of choice - as well as driving for Deliveroo, beekeeping and running a teashop
The total number employed in the UK, according to Home Office statistics from last September, is 236,655, meaning more than 14 per cent have registered outside employment.
For example, the probe shows Surrey Police has 562 officers and staff with registered business interests, including one who runs a tea shop, some bar staff at a tennis club and a kickboxing instructor who also moonlights as a reiki healer.
Outside London, the starting salary for a constable is around £30,000, while a sergeant earns more than £50,000.
A third of officers who responded to a Police Federation national pay and morale survey said they struggled to pay their bills, which acting deputy chairman Brian Booth described as 'criminal'.
He added: 'Officers want to rest on their days off, not feel forced to pick up extra work to pay the rent.'
A spokesman from the National Police Chiefs' Council said it assessed second jobs to ensure they were appropriate.
