72 new recruits: ‘a good start’

1 May 2020

Humberside Police Federation chair Pete Musgrave says 72 new officers joining the Force over the last six months is a good start to the Government’s recruitment drive.

New figures released by the Home Office show that the number of officers in Humberside has risen from 1,929 to 2,001 since the Government launched its three-year plan to recruit 20,000 officers in three years last September. The Force was allocated an uplift of 97 officers in the first year, nationally 6,000 new recruits are due to be taken on in that time

Pete says the new officers are a welcome addition to the Force as it adapts to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.

“It’s pleasing to see that despite the challenges that we face from policing the COVID-19 crisis we are able to recruit new officers to the Force,” said Pete.

“The uplift will help us deliver the service that our communities need at a time of unprecedented challenges. This is a good start to the recruitment drive. The key is to ensure that we not only recruit new officers to the Force after years of cuts to policing but that we also retain them too.”

The new Home Office figures show that 3,005 officers have so far been recruited across England and Wales since the Government programme launched.

National Federation chair John Apter said: “This is good news for policing and provides a lifeline we have desperately needed for many years. Whilst this does not undo the damage done by a decade of cuts to policing, it is definitely a step in the right direction to rebuild what we had before austerity measures hit hard.” 

In total, forces recruited 6,435 officers from November 2019 to March 2020, including recruitment planned before the Government campaign was announced.

There is now a total of 131,596 officers, a five per cent increase on March 2019.

John added: “While the support from the Home Secretary and policing minister to initiate the uplift programme is very welcome - we need reassurance that the Government will fund years two and three of this programme and see this through to the end.

 “I completely accept that as a result of the current crisis the Government has financial pressures, but policing must be a priority and a genuine increase of 20,000 officers is essential so my colleagues can keep the public safe."