Kemi Badenoch MP has welcomed the announcement that 177 police officers have been recruited in Essex in the first year of the Government’s campaign to recruit 20,000 by March 2023, as part of the 8,771 additional officers that have been recruited across England and Wales.
This means the Government’s target of recruiting 6,000 by March 2021 in the first year of the programme has been dramatically exceeded, with the halfway milestone likely to be reached within the coming weeks.
The addition of these new officers brings the total number of police across Essex up to 3,493, meaning there are now more frontline officers on our streets in Chelmsford and Uttlesford to keep the public safe.
In addition to recruiting 20,000 additional police officers, the Government is supporting the police with the powers they need to crack down on crime, including through introducing the landmark Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill – which will give the police additional powers to tackle unauthorised encampments, a £636 million funding boost for police forces this year, and a new police covenant – which will enhance support and protection for frontline police officers.
Commenting, Mrs Badenoch said:
“Getting more police officers into Chelmsford and Uttlesford is one of my key priorities, and so I welcome that the Government has already delivered an extra 177 officers across Essex, benefitting the Saffron Walden constituency.
“Every one of these officers will make an enormous difference in helping to cut crime and keep people safe across the constituency– and I know that many more will follow as the Government continues to deliver on its promise in the manifesto I stood on 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 local communities safe.”
