A national campaign to recruit 20,000 new police officers is
launched today (Thursday) – urging people to join the police and
‘Be a force for all’.
The police recruitment drive is the biggest in decades and
follows the Prime Minister’s commitment to increase police
numbers over the next three years.
The Chancellor yesterday announced funding to support the
recruitment of a first wave of up to 6,000 officers, who will be
shared among the 43 forces in England and Wales. This includes
£750 million for 2020-21 and an immediate £45 million to
kick-start recruitment.
The remaining 14,000 will be recruited in the following two
years, backed by government funding, and will be additional to
officers hired to fill existing vacancies.
Prime Minister said:
Getting more police on our streets is an absolute priority and
I’m delighted our recruitment campaign for 20,000 new officers
is now under way.
I have been clear from day one I will give the police the
resources they need and I am delivering on that commitment.
They have my full support and together we will cut crime, get
criminals off the streets and keep people safe.
Home Secretary said:
One of the government’s first actions was to commit to putting
20,000 new police officers on our streets, and the launch of
today’s campaign shows we’ve wasted no time in getting on with
the job.
Our police are the best in the word. They protect our people
and communities and this government will ensure they are well
resourced so they can tackle the crime on Britain’s streets.
By bolstering the police’s ranks we can help our dedicated
officers tackle crime, protect communities and be a force for
all.
The ‘Be a force for all’ campaign has been developed by the Home
Office in partnership with the police and using feedback from the
public via independent research.
It features serving police officers, including a neighbourhood
officer, a police dog handler and a firearms officer. One of the
officers started as a volunteer Special Constable, while another
is a former charity executive who changed career.
They appear on billboards and digital displays at locations
across England and Wales, including at shopping centres and
railway stations, as well as in a radio advertisement.
A new website has also been set up to provide potential recruits
with more information and direct them to the recruitment pages of
local police forces.
A second phase of advertising is planned for the new year.
Martin Hewitt, Chair of the National Police Chiefs’ Council,
said:
Today’s recruitment campaign launch, and the government funding
to deliver it, represents a significant opportunity for
policing. This net increase in officers will help us provide a
better service to the public, reduce crime, and ease the
unprecedented pressure on our people. It will also help us to
accelerate our plans to improve diversity in policing.
It also opens up the exciting opportunity for a career in
policing to many more people. If you want a varied career and
to make a positive difference in your community, policing could
be for you. We want to attract people from a range of
backgrounds with a range of skills who will complement the
able, professional officers and staff currently working across
policing to keep people safe.
Recruiting 20,000 officers over three years is unprecedented.
It will require significant planning, but we are confident we
can fulfil this commitment with the right resources and support
from the government.
OBE, Chair of the Association
of Police and Crime Commissioners, said:
Police and Crime Commissioners welcome today’s recruitment
campaign launch. These additional officers will help our police
forces to cut crime and deliver better outcomes for victims. We
know that this is what the public want.
This is a huge opportunity for policing to deliver on behalf of
all our communities. We will work to ensure the successful
recruitment of these officers over the next three years.
A National Policing Board, chaired by the Home Secretary and
bringing together government and police leaders, has been set up
to oversee the recruitment drive and other major policing issues.
The Home Secretary has previously announced the Home Office is
accelerating plans for a Police Covenant to ensure serving and
former officers are treated with the respect they deserve.
The Home Office also extended a pilot relaxing conditions around
the use of section 60 serious violence stop and search powers.
Meanwhile, police funding is increasing by more than £1 billion
this year, including money raised from council tax and to tackle
serious violence.
