An uplift of 129 officers in Sussex is a good start, says Federation Chairman

9 October 2019

Sussex's uplift of 129 officers is a good start in replacing those officers lost since 2010, says Federation Chairman.

The Government announced this morning how it would allocate the first tranche of 20,000 extra officers for forces in England and Wales.

Sussex Police Federation Chairman Matt Webb said "This is good news for Sussex and allows us to start to replace the numbers that have been lost since 2010.

"The challenge now is in training, equipping and housing officers as our estate has also shrunk. But we are up for that challenge and will work with the Force to get the best for our new members.

"Until we know exactly where these new officers will go it is difficult to comment on how visible they will be but I would like to see them in our communities, protecting the vulnerable and bringing offenders to justice as quickly as possible.

"It will allow us to better serve our communities and hopefully begin to relieve some of the unnecessary pressures our members have been placed under in recent years.

"We are looking forward to the remaining years of the planned uplift and will hold whichever party is in Government to ensure the numbers are achieved and promises met."

Sussex's extra allocation will take them to 2,758 officers – similar to the level they had in 2014.

A total of 6,000 officers will be recruited across England and Wales by the end of 2020/21.