364 extra police officers recruited in Nottinghamshire to keep streets safe
Press Release
Date: 29/04/2022
- Newly released figures show that 364 police officers have been recruited in Nottinghamshire as part of the Conservative Government’s pledge to put 20,000 more officers on the streets by March 2023.
- Since the recruitment drive was launched in 2019, the 43 police forces across England and Wales have seen an additional 13,576 police officers recruited, putting the Government on track to deliver on its manifesto promise, despite Labour Mayors failing to hit their targets.
- The additional police for Nottinghamshire builds on the Conservative Government’s Beating Crime Plan and Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill – aimed at reducing crime, protecting victims and making the country safer.
Brendan Clarke-Smith MP has welcomed the announcement that 364 police officers have been recruited in Nottinghamshire since September 2019, bringing the total number of officers up to 2,385.
The latest figures are part of the Conservative Government’s drive to get 20,000 more police officers on the street by March 2023, and puts the Government on track to fulfil its manifesto commitment with 68 per cent of the target now met.
Across the 43 police forces, an additional 13,576 officers have been recruited, bringing the total number of police officers in England and Wales to 142,526 – where they are already having an impact in tackling crime and keeping communities safe.
The latest figures also show that the police are more representative of the communities they serve. More than four in ten new recruits since April 2020 are female and nearly 12 per cent of new recruits identify as belonging to a Black, Asian, Mixed or other minority ethnic group.
However, the figures show Labour Mayor’s Sadiq Khan and Andy Burnham, who run the Met and Greater Manchester Police forces, the largest and third largest forces in the country, failed to meet their targets for recruiting additional officers. Sadiq Khan fell 133 officers short of his target and Andy Burnham fell 30 short of his.
The 13,576 extra officers will support the Conservative Government’s crack down on crime, which has seen the launch of the Beating Crime Plan and the passing of the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill through the House of Commons.
This builds on the action already taken by the Conservative Government since Boris Johnson became Prime Minister two years ago – including boosting police funding to a record £15.8 billion and delivering £70 million through the Safer Streets Fund to make neighbourhoods secure.
Commenting, Brendan Clarke-Smith MP said:
“From working with our local police force, I know just how valuable more police officers will be in helping crack down on crime in our local community.
“The 364 additional recruits mean there are now 2,385 police officers in Nottinghamshire, helping to pursue criminals, keep neighbourhoods safe, and reassure the law-abiding majority.
“These figures also reveal that where Labour are in power, they are failing to deliver. Once again this demonstrates that only the Conservatives can be trusted to keep people safe and deliver on the priorities of the British people”.
Commenting, Home Secretary Priti Patel said:
“When this Government took office in 2019, we made a promise to the British people to recruit 20,000 extra police officers to cut crime and keep communities safe - and we are delivering on that pledge.
“These extra officers are getting out on the streets helping to cut crime and protect communities up and down the country – and they are reflecting the communities they serve better than ever before, with the highest ever proportion of female officers and officers from diverse backgrounds out there making a difference.
“It is disappointing to see Labour Mayors in charge of some of our biggest police forces failing to meet their targets for recruiting more officers, particularly given how quick they are to tour TV studios demanding more help from the government for their own failures.”
“Our Beating Crime Plan will give these officers the powers they need to stop crimes happening, support victims and keep serious offenders in prison for longer – keeping the streets safer for all.”
ENDS
Notes to Editors
- Home Office figures show 13,576 extra police officers have been recruited nationally in Q3 2021 (Home Office, Official Statistics, 27 April 2022, link).
- Home Office figures show 364 extra police officers have been recruited in Nottinghamshire since September 2019 (Home Office, Official Statistics, 27 April 2022, link).
- More than four in ten new police recruits are women and nearly 12 per cent are from an ethnic minority. Female officers accounted for 42.4 per cent of new joiners between since April 2020 and 11.7 per cent (who stated their ethnicity) identified as ethnic minorities (Home Office, Official Statistics, 27 April 2022, link).
- The Metropolitan Police Force and Greater Manchester Police Force have failed to meet their targets for recruitment. The Metropolitan Police Force fell 133 officers short of their target and Greater Manchester Police Force fell 30 short of their target (Home Office, Official Statistics, 27 April 2022, link).
- The Government has promised to recruit 20,000 extra police officers by 2023. The police recruitment drive is the biggest in decades and follows the Prime Minister’s commitment to increase police numbers over the next 3 years (Home Office, News Story, 5 September 2019, link).
- The Government’s Beating Crime Plan and Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill introduce a range of reforms to policing in England and Wales. Measures include increased tagging to reduce repeat and substance-fuelled offences, and ensuring that offenders give back to their communities through unpaid work (UK Government, Beating Crime Plan, 27 July 2021, link).
- The Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill has introduced tougher sentences for criminals and provides additional resources to police. Measures include additional powers to tackle disruptive protests, increased sentences for the most dangerous offenders, and additional protections for women and girls (Home Office, Policy Paper, 7 July 2021, link).
- The Safer Streets Fund has already committed £70 million in making our streets safer. This is focused on preventing neighbourhood crime, crime in public spaces and violence against women and girls (Home Office, News story, 18 March 2022, link).