Nottinghamshire Police has surpassed its recruitment target ahead of schedule – with officer ranks now at its highest number for 11 years.
The force reached 2,380 officers by March 2022 – meaning it met its Uplift target a year early.
The ranks haven’t been this high since March 2011 when there were 2,362 officers serving the county.
The influx continued yesterday (8 April 2022) when the force welcomed 20 new police officers during a passing out parade at its Arnold headquarters, following an 18-week long training programme.
The officers have completed a mix of classroom training and operational attachments. Over the coming weeks, the new recruits will be deployed across the county, where they will undertake a range of duties in their new front line roles.
Minister of State for Crime and Policing, Kit Malthouse, hailed it as a “cracking performance by a force at the top of its game”.
He added: “I’m delighted to see Nottinghamshire Police recruit their share of the 20,000 new officers so far ahead of schedule and I salute the commitment of all the new recruits, from so many varied backgrounds, who have stepped forward to join with such enthusiasm.
“As we confront crime in all its forms, having a growing, energetic police force, led with skill and clarity of purpose, will mean ever safer neighbourhoods across the whole of Nottinghamshire.”
Among the new recruits who passed out yesterday was PC Dan Humphrey, who will be based at Radford Road Police Station.
The 21-year-old said: “It’s a proud day for me and my family. I joined the force as a PCSO when I was 19 and am really excited to now be a police constable.
“It’s a big job as you play an important role in people’s lives. You’re there to help people often in their worst times. It’s not just about arresting people, it’s about making sure people are safe and supporting them.
“We’re all really looking forward to serving our local communities.”
Whilst undertaking this huge increase of officers, the force has continued to drive down crime, with rates still below those recorded in 2019 (pre-Covid).
The reduction continues as a result of the work done to bolster neighbourhoods and specialist teams. The force has uplifted all of its 12 dedicated Operation Reacher teams and knife crime teams, which have continued to make a big difference.
Operation Uplift has also seen the force make great strides in becoming more representative of the community it serves, with the Home Office commending Nottinghamshire Police after figures revealed the force had recruited a greater proportion of officers from black and minority ethnic backgrounds than any other force in England and Wales.
The increase was achieved through a campaign of engagement with different parts of the community, not just those of different faiths and ethnicities, but also across the local public sector, to raise awareness of the opportunity to apply.
Furthermore, the force now has more female officers than ever before. A total of 35 per cent of police officers in Nottinghamshire are now women – up from 32 per cent in March 2020 with most new intakes seeing a near 50/50 split.
Chief Constable Craig Guildford, who attended yesterday’s passing out parade, said: “An incredible amount of work has gone into smashing the target throughout Covid, and I would like to place on record my thanks to everyone who has made this possible. We have offered the national Uplift team and other forces our learning from this great local work.
“We’ve achieved a really ambitious target a year ahead of schedule and we’ve got another exciting recruitment programme coming up this year as well. I’d urge anyone interested in a career in policing to keep an eye on our recruitment opportunities as there are plenty coming up.”
The Police and Crime Commissioner for Nottinghamshire, Caroline Henry, was also at yesterday’s parade as the force celebrated reaching its Uplift target early.
Commissioner Henry said: “In Nottinghamshire, we have been really proactive in attracting the brightest and the best talent to join our amazing police force.
“I’m delighted that we’ve cracked on and achieved our Uplift target a year early. This is an exceptional achievement and I’d like to thank all the fantastic people involved for their hard work in making this happen.
“Not only do we have more police officers than we’ve had in over a decade, we’ve also got a workforce that is more diverse and more representative of Nottinghamshire.
“When I was elected I promised additional police officers and to make our streets safer. I’m delivering on that promise.
“Our new cohorts will make a huge difference and people will be safer.”
To learn more about a policing career with the force visit: https://www.nottinghamshire.police.uk/careers/nottinghamshire-police-officer
