Increase in officer numbers

31 October 2022

Officer numbers in Suffolk have increased by 47 in the 12 months until the end of September this year, newly released Government statistics reveal.

This means the Force is just 16 short of reaching its allocation under the Police Uplift Programme through which the Government wants to increase officer numbers by 20,000 over a three-year period which ends in March 2023.

The Home Office data showed the Force had 1,387 serving officers at the end of September compared with 1,340 in October 2021.

The Force has recruited a total of 416 officers since the Uplift Programme launched in 2019, and this has increased the Force’s officer numbers by 163.

The Home Office said a total of 15,343 officers had now been recruited across England and Wales from funding for the Police Uplift Programme which aims to take on 20,000 new officers by March 2023.

Suffolk Police Federation chair Darren Harris said he welcomed the increase in officers but warned the figures had to be balanced against the number of colleagues leaving the Force and the attrition rate of newcomers.

Darren said:  “We welcome our new colleagues to the Force and we wish them all the best for their future careers in policing.

“But it sometimes feels like we are treading water with recruitment and these latest figures highlight the fact that despite taking on new recruits under the uplift programme, in real terms we only have 47 more officers than we did this time last year.

“Experienced officers leave the service for a number of reasons but pay and conditions and low morale are usually the main factors in their decision to quit.

“We welcome the Police Uplift Programme but have always stressed it is only one part of the story and we are hoping the new Government will make a commitment to ensure our members are properly rewarded for the unique job they do.

“Policing is also crying out for sustainable investment in the infrastructure that supports them in doing that job.”

The Home Office said: “The Police Uplift Programme’s primary focus is to support the recruitment of officers across the 43 forces.

“Recruitment across each force is the responsibility of an operationally independent chief constable and held to account by a locally elected Police and Crime Commissioner.

“The Government has pledged to invest more £3.5bn in policing between 2020 and 2023 in order to recruit 20,000 additional officers.

“Additional officers will support forces in tackling crime and making communities safer.

“The Police Uplift Programme is one of a range of initiatives the Government has implemented to support policing.”