Police Data Graphics - 82 more police officers in Essex.
Essex Police bolstered by an extra 82 police officers
Witham MP, Priti Patel, has welcomed the announcement that Essex has been bolstered by an additional 82 officers since the Government launched its major police recruitment drive, a year ago. The addition of these new officers brings the total number of police across Essex up to 3,398, meaning that there are now more frontline officers on our streets keeping the public safe.
Since the launch of the Government’s recruitment campaign 12 months ago, a total of 5,824 extra officers have joined police forces across England and Wales. These statistics confirm that the Government remains fully on track to meet its manifesto commitment of recruiting 20,000 extra officers by 2023 and is ahead of schedule on its target to have the first 6,000 in place by March 2021.
Commenting on the announcement, Priti Patel MP said: “Getting more police officers onto our streets is one of the people’s priorities, and so I am delighted that in just over a year, the Government has already delivered an extra 82 officers across Essex.
“Every one of these officers will make an enormous difference in helping to cut crime and keep people safe – and I know that many more will follow as the Government continues to deliver on its promise to recruit 20,000 more, over the next three years.
“By backing our police with the funding, powers and resources they need, we are keeping the public and our communities safe, so that people everywhere can live their lives free from the fear of crime.”
The new statistics also show that the police workforce is now more diverse than ever before, with 10.7 per cent of new recruits identifying as Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic, and with 9,842 of all officers now being from these groups. This recruitment drive is at the centre of the Government’s commitment to back the police with more resources, powers and support to keep the public and their communities safe.
Alongside the recruitment campaign, the Government is boosting police pay by 2.5 per cent this year, equivalent to a constable receiving an extra £1,100, providing officers with an increase above inflation for the second year running, the largest pay rise in a decade. The Government is also enshrining a new police covenant into law, which will offer enhanced support and protection for frontline officers, and is bringing forward legislation to double the maximum sentence for those convicted of assaults on frontline emergency staff including police officers, firefighters and paramedics.
Other steps to support our frontline officers include a £1.1 billion funding boost for police forces this year – the biggest increase in a decade, funding to provide over 8,000 more officers with Taser devices, and personalised new stop and search powers so that officers can effectively target repeat offenders.
Notes
- New statistics show that nearly 6,000 extra officers have been recruited in the first year of the Government’s major police recruitment drive, with 82 more in Essex alone.
- This confirms that the Government is on track to deliver 20,000 extra officers by 2023 and is ahead of schedule to have the first 6,000 in place by March 2021.
- These new officers will be crucial in helping to drive down crime and to make our streets safer as well as the fight against coronavirus.