Wiltshire Police say they are on track to recruit extra officers promised by the Government

Sixty-one additional officers have been recruited by Wiltshire Police as part of a Government campaign to recruit an additional 20,000 officers across the country.

The Government’s Uplift Programme is set to fund a total of 148 new officers in Wiltshire – in addition to numbers already planned to replace leavers – bringing the expected number of serving officers to 1,150 by March 2023.

More than 250 new officers have joined the Force since the start of the Uplift programme in September 2019 and a further 200 are set to start in the next 18 months to the end of the programme in March 2023, this is made up of both additional uplift officers and those recruited to replace leavers.

Police and Crime Commissioner, Philip Wilkinson said: “It is absolutely right that people in Wiltshire are able to feel safe in addition to being safe and the delivery of this national pledge by the Government plays a key role in achieving that.

“These additional officers will provide a much-needed bolster for the Force to better protect communities, support victims and ultimately help make Wiltshire a safer place to live, work and visit.

“That said, whilst officer numbers are important, it is more important that we are getting the right people through the door.

“I continue to work with the Chief Constable to ensure that vetting procedures are fit for purpose and that relevant policies and procedures are tightened up where required, to ensure public confidence in the Force.”

The data also shows an increase in ethnic minority officers and staff across Wiltshire Police from 1.89% in March 2020 to 2.5% in September 2021 compared to a Wiltshire population of 5.5%.

In Wiltshire Police’s most recent officer recruitment campaign earlier this year, 8% of applicants were from an ethnic minority background and work continues to better engage with under-represented groups.

There was also an increase in the number of female officers from 35% to 36.7% compared with a national average of 34%, and with the Force having one of the lowest attrition rates for female leavers in the country.

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