In an interview with The Telegraph, Stephenson said: "If I had accepted a bonus I always felt as though I would compromise my operational independence and discharge of duties, and that is something that forms the basis of my whole approach to policing.
"I am very disappointed that we still have bonus payments in policing. Now is the time to get rid of them, as far as I'm concerned. They should never have been there in the first place."
Stephenson went as far as to suggest that bonuses do not motivate staff and are "divisive".
The news comes after chief constables told the home secretary, Theresa May, to end bonus payments in the organisation.
[Image by Ian Bottle]
