Lincolnshire PCSOs: Payroll blunder leads to £1m payout
Hundreds of police community support officers (PCSOs) in Lincolnshire will get an average windfall of £4,000 because of a payroll mistake.
Lincolnshire Police will spend £1m in one-off payments because of problems with pay calculations after a change in shift patterns.
A spokesman said it was "morally and legally" right to correct the error.
It is believed the underpayments date back to 2006 when PCSOs were first introduced in Lincolnshire.
Officials realised the mistake prior to the financial year so the charge will not affect current staffing.
Lincolnshire Police's temporary Deputy Chief Constable Keith Smy said: "The total amount of back pay adjustment and on costs will amount to around £1m.
"We can confirm that following a review of PCSO shift patterns and an increase in powers, it was brought to our attention that there had been some long-standing errors in relation to how shift calculations were worked out," he said.
"It is only correct, both morally and legally, that any errors are corrected."
The total police budget in Lincolnshire for 2013-14 is £114m.
PCSOs have the power to issue fixed penalty notices, confiscate drugs and alcohol, direct traffic and remove abandoned vehicles.