An extra 1,420 officers have joined police forces across England
and Wales in the past 3 months, as the government continues its
unprecedented drive to recruit 20,000 additional police officers
by March 2023.
Figures released today
(25 January) show that more than 16,700 additional police
officers have joined the police since April 2020 as part of the
government’s pledge to get more police officers on our streets.
Today’s figures mean that the government has met 84% of that
target and is well on the way to recruiting 20,000 new officers
by March.
The figures released today also show the number of police
officers from an ethnic minority background is at an all-time
high, as the government’s recruitment campaign works to change
the face and culture of policing.
While there is more to do to ensure policing is representative of
the communities it serves, there are 11,691 police officers who
identify as being from an ethnic minority, more than ever before.
There are also now 51,107 female officers in our 43 police forces
in England and Wales, which is also at its highest point.
Home Secretary said:
Improving confidence in our police forces means we must attract
the brightest and the best to one of the toughest but most
rewarding jobs in our country. I am delighted we are on track to
deliver our bold promise to the British people of putting 20,000
additional officers on the streets.
This next generation of brave police officers will add to efforts
to drive down invasive crimes like burglary and neighbourhood
offences, return to common sense policing and make our
communities feel safer and stronger.
New recruits are subject to a rigorous vetting and assessment
process to assess suitability for the role of police officer,
including testing against core behaviours and values.
Policing and Crime Minister said:
Policing is a career like no other and I am proud so many
thousands of people in England and Wales want to put themselves
forward to protect their communities from danger - in a
challenging, essential and rewarding job.
In a matter of months, when this once-in-a-generation recruitment
drive is complete and we have a record number of officers across
England and Wales, our police forces will be more representative
than ever of the communities they serve.
The overwhelming majority of new recruits recently surveyed
report positive job satisfaction and want to remain officers for
the rest of their working lives, and compared to other public
sectors, voluntary resignations in policing remain low at 2.5%.
The rate of uplift growth varies by quarter with the June and
December quarters traditionally slower. This is due to the way
that forces plan recruitment to hit their annual targets.
Chair of the National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC) Martin Hewitt
said:
We are getting really close to achieving an additional 20,000
officers into policing nationwide and I am pleased to see great
progress with this ambition from all forces.
All of our police forces are working hard to recruit new officers
who meet nationally agreed College of Policing standards by the
end of March and although we are nearly there, we know how
important it is to continue to focus our efforts on making sure
policing is as diverse and representative as the communities we
serve.
Overall funding for policing will rise by up to £287 million in
the next financial year (2023-24) compared to the 2022-23 funding
settlement, bringing the total up to £17.2 billion for the
policing system. In addition every police officer received a
£1.9k uplift to their salary with effect from 1 September 2022,
which equalled up to an 8.8% increase for those on the lowest pay
points.
All recruits must meet the standards set by the College of
Policing and the government has worked with chief constables and
the college to modernise, standardise and increase resilience in
the recruitment process to ensure forces are able to hire the
additional officers to keep communities safe.
Anyone interested in applying to their local force can visit
Join the
Police to find out more.
