Devon and Cornwall bolstered by 141 extra police officers

Devon and Cornwall have been bolstered by 141 extra officers since the government launched its major police recruitment drive a year ago, new figures show.

It brings the total number of police across the force area to 3,273, meaning there are now more frontline officers on our streets to keep the public safe.

Since the launch of the recruitment campaign, a total of 5,824 extra officers have joined police forces across England and Wales.

This includes 397 in the South West, taking the total in the region to 9,817.

Devon and Cornwall have seen the biggest increase in numbers, followed by 130 in Avon and Somerset.

The 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 figures also show that the police workforce is now more diverse than ever before, with 10.7% of new recruits identifying as Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic. A total of 9,842 of all officers are now from these groups.

The 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.

The government is boosting police pay by 2.5% 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 bringing forward legislation to double the maximum sentence for those convicted of assaults on frontline staff including police officers, firefighters and paramedics.

Other steps to support frontline police include a £1.1billion funding boost for forces this year – the biggest increase in a decade – as well as funding to provide over 8,000 more officers with Taser devices and personalised new stop and search powers so they can effectively target repeat offenders.

Alison Hernandez, Devon and Cornwall Police and Crime Commissioner, said: “We’re proud to have already recruited our allocation from the government in advance of expectations.

“But we haven’t stopped yet. We are still recruiting officers, with another 50 paid for by our local council tax payers.

“Our recruitment and passing out parades have been so different this year due to coronavirus, including lots more home online learning and no family present to see them finish.

“But we didn’t let the virus stop us bringing in new officers and our community can’t wait to meet them out and about.

“Now we await the next phase from the government allocation and are ready and waiting to press ahead with welcoming more officers into the policing family.

“We may be one of the lowest crime areas, but we also have one of the lowest number of officers per head of population, especially when our population swells in the summer. Every officer is very much needed to help keep crime levels low.”

Home Secretary Priti Patel said: “Getting more police officers on our streets is a priority for the British people – therefore a priority for me.

“Just one year since we began recruiting, I am delighted that there are nearly 6,000 of the 20,000 additional officers on our streets cutting crime and making your communities safer.

“As we’ve seen from the frontline response to coronavirus, the work of each and every police officer helps to save lives and I would like to extend my gratitude to them, and to the new recruits, for joining the police and being a part of this heroic national effort.”