The Police Negotiating Board (PNB) agreed in May 2002 that a Special Priority Payment (SPP) Scheme would be introduced nationally. West Midlands Police has adopted the SPP Scheme.
The Scheme is targeted at front line/operational police officers in particular, and posts may attract payment under the Scheme where they meet the following criteria:
An officer must demonstrate they are fully competent in and highly committed to their duties and responsibilities.
Payments to officers are made as a single non-pensionable lump sum of no less than £500 and no more than £3,000 in December of each year.
In year one, due to the implementation programme commencing part way through the year, corporately and locally designated posts will be determined by April 2003, along with publication of the scheme.
For year two and each year thereafter, the annual determination of posts will be subject to the following planning cycle:
| Activity | Month |
| Commanders and departmental heads to review previous year’s allocation of SPP posts with ACC (TO) and DoP. | August |
| Proposal for locally designated posts to be submitted to ACC (TO) and DoP for consideration and approval. | September |
| Proposals for corporate and locally designated posts considered by Policy Group | September |
| Police Authority consideration | October |
| Policy Group sign off | November |
| Commanders write to officers in SPP posts providing confirmation that they are in a Special Priority Payment post. | November |