Kemi Badenoch MP has welcomed the announcement that Essex has been strengthened by an additional 82 officers since the Government launched its major police recruitment drive one year ago.
The additional new officers bring the total number of police across Essex up to 3,398, meaning there are now more frontline officers on our streets to keep residents safe.
Since the launch of the Government’s recruitment campaign one year 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 to have the first 6,000 in place by March 2021.
The new statistics also show that the national police workforce is now more diverse than ever before, with 10.7 percent of new recruits identifying as Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic.
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 also 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.
Commenting, Mrs Badenoch said: “Getting more police officers onto our streets is one of my key priorities, so I am really pleased that in just over one year, this 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 this Government continues to deliver on its promise to recruit 20,000 moreover the next three years.
“By backing our police with the funding, powers and resources they need, we are keeping residents, businesses and our communities safe, particularly by tackling rural crime such as hare coursing and flying tipping.”
