UK Government launches police recruitment campaign following funding boost
The Governments drive to protect the public by recruiting 20,000 additional police officers enters a new phase today with the launch of a new advertising campaign, consisting of two new adverts featuring serving police officers already protecting their communities - to be shown on TV, in cinemas, on YouTube and Reddit - which follows a £1.1 billion funding boost announced last month.
Image courtesy Home Office
More than 11,000 people have already joined the police as part of the recruitment drive, helping to cut crime by 14% (excluding fraud and computer misuse), remove 16,000 knives and dangerous weapons from the streets and tackle the scourge of drugs with the closure of over 1,500 county lines.
Two new adverts – featuring two serving police officers from different backgrounds already protecting their communities – will air on TV and in cinemas and, for the first time, on YouTube and Reddit to target a younger and more engaged audience.
Chief Inspector Matthew Burbeck from Kent Police was part of the team that caught a gang importing millions of pounds of drugs, while Police Constable Lola Giwa from Greater Manchester Police has helped to protect vulnerable people and make sure violent criminals are put behind bars.
With the government on track to meet its target of recruiting 20,000 more officers by 2023, the ads in which they feature form part of a wider advertising campaign across radio, social media, online, podcasts and digital display banners.
The 11,053 additional officers to date have enabled police forces to set up new units tackling crime and protecting vulnerable people – including supporting those who have suffered rape and sexual assault. They have also helped create the most diverse police force in history, which is more able to effectively serve communities across England and Wales.
PC Giwa was inspired to join the force after being impressed with the way the police helped her son who was being bullied at school. She said: "We were treated with respect and compassion and the officer was persistent and effective and I thought, ‘yes, I can do the same thing’ and give back to my community and protect the most vulnerable people in society.
"We need representation from every background in the police that will help bridge the gap between police and those communities and I encourage people to join. It is actually the best job you can ever think of and I’m not sugar coating it."
Chief Inspector Burbeck was inspired to join the force after working in military intelligence and helped secure the prosecution of a drugs gang importing millions of pounds worth of drugs. He said: "Every single day police officers change someone’s life and there are not many jobs where you can say that. You never know what is around the corner – in the same day you can go from working on a domestic violence case, to attending a violent incident, to working on a drugs bust.
"You are dealing with people who are often having the worst day in their lives, so you develop people skills, as well as technical investigation skills."
The new recruits will help support the delivery of the Beating Crime Plan, which set out the government’s mission to deliver fewer victims, safer neighbourhoods, and a more secure country – with a particular focus on driving down homicide, serious violence and neighbourhood crime.
Home Secretary, Priti Patel, said: "Two years ago, this government made a promise to the public to put 20,000 extra police officers on our streets – and we are delivering on that pledge with an additional 11,053 police officers already recruited.
"Officers like PC Giwa and Chief Inspector Burbeck are already out there making a difference – taking drugs off our streets and protecting victims of awful crimes like domestic abuse, while helping to make our communities safer.
"As we continue to deliver on that promise to increase police numbers, anyone with a drive and passion to serve their community and fight crime should consider following their example and joining up as part of this new generation of brave police officers."
The additional officers will bolster the work already being done across the country, which has seen:
a 14% fall in overall crime (excluding fraud and computer misuse) between June 2019 and June 2021
11,053 additional officers hired across England and Wales – 55% of the target of 20,000 extra police officers by March 2023
over 1,500 county lines closed, over 7,400 arrests, £4.3m in drugs seized and more than 4,000 vulnerable people safeguarded, thanks to our investment in shutting down county lines since 2019
almost 16,000 knives and other dangerous weapons removed from the streets last year thanks to police use of stop and search powers
300,000 at risk young people reached through Violence Reduction Units, which have been set up across the country thanks to £105.5 million in funding – this forms part of the £242 million we’ve invested since 2019 to zone in on serious violence and homicide hotspots
Minister for Crime and Policing, Kit Malthouse, said: "This government is fully focused on beating crime and I am proud that these additional officers are helping to keep our families and our communities safe.
"The police workforce is changing – more women are now working as officers in England and Wales than ever before and the number of police officers from ethnic minorities is the highest on record – and we want to see police forces becoming even more representative of the communities they serve.
"Becoming a police officer requires bravery – most run towards danger as the public flees - and I would encourage others to join the thousands of hard working, committed officers up and down the country who feel passionately about the job they do."
Additional funding
Last month it was announced by the Home Secretary Priti Patel that this year policing will receive a funding boost of up to £1.1 billion.
The 2022/23 funding package represents an inflation-busting 7% cash increase on last year and means policing will receive up to £16.9 billion in total in 2022/23.
The boost in resources will help support the delivery of the Beating Crime Plan, which set out the government’s mission to deliver fewer victims, safer neighbourhoods, and a more secure country. In particular, the plan focuses on driving down homicide, serious violence and neighbourhood crime – to ensure that everyone can benefit from the security that a safe home, street and country provides.
Within the total package, forces will also be given £550 million more from government grants, including funding for hiring the 20,000 extra officers promised by the government by the end of March 2023. The successful recruitment campaign has already seen more than 11,000 additional police officers join up and make a difference in communities across England and Wales.
Home Secretary, Priti Patel, said: "Crimes including theft, burglary and knife crime are down, we’ve got an additional 11,053 police officers on our streets, and we’ve shut down 1,500 drugs lines which exploit the young and the vulnerable.
"But we must go further and faster to make our communities even safer, so today I am giving our excellent police forces and law enforcement agencies more funding to do just that, in line with our Beating Crime Plan.
"Reducing crime is a top priority for this government and I will continue working with police leaders to ensure this unprecedented investment results in less crime and fewer victims."
Minister for Crime and Policing, Kit Malthouse, said: "We have asked a lot of our police over the course of the pandemic, and while it’s true that our neighbourhoods are getting safer, we are removing weapons and drugs from our streets and we are putting thousands more police on the beat, now is not the time to take our foot off the pedal.
"Beating crime is the government’s number one priority, and I am confident this settlement will give the police the resources they need to keep our families and our communities safe."
Funding to Police and Crime Commissioners (PCCs) is increasing by up to an additional £796 million, assuming full take-up of precept flexibility. PCCs will have up to £10 of precept flexibility per Band D property in each of the next three years to use according to their local needs.
The settlement includes more money to enable the police to tackle Serious Organised Crime, support rape victims and protect our national security, with Counter Terrorism police funding increasing to over £1 billion for the first time.
From the total settlement, £1.4 billion will be spent to deliver on national priorities, including taking down more county lines, reducing violent crime, child sexual abuse and exploitation, fraud and modern slavery.
This year will see:
more officers to specifically tackle serious organised crime
the creation of a National Crime Laboratory to drive the use of innovative data science techniques to prevent and reduce crime
increase testing of innovative ways for the police and CPS to investigate rape cases
delivering on our commitment to ensure that no victim of rape and serious sexual assault is left without a mobile phone for more than 24 hours
improvements in local police performance, including measuring responsiveness to 101 and 999 calls
further investment in law enforcement intelligence and investigations to tackle economic crime
more investment in tackling fraud and improving the way in which intelligence on firearms is collected and managed
investment in major law enforcement programmes, and other critical national police and law enforcement IT capabilities
The funding boost illustrates the Government’s determination to bear down on crime and follows a series of recent developments including:
The publication of a 10-year drugs strategy, which includes a commitment to dismantle over 2,000 county lines. The strategy is also backed by the largest ever increase in investment in treatment and recovery services
Plans for a new Victims’ Law to provide better support for victims and ensure their voices are heard during the criminal justice process
A new plan to deliver the biggest prison-building programme in more than 100 years – creating the right conditions to reform and rehabilitate offenders and ultimately cut crime
National Police Chiefs’ Council Lead for Finance, Chief Constable Gavin Stephens, said: "We welcome the certainty provided to policing by the recent multi-year settlement, and investment in additional officers.
"The confirmation of funding announced today will allow forces to focus additional resources into tackling priority crime areas for the public, such as targeting those that perpetrate violence against women and girls, county lines drug gangs and serious violent crime."
Chief Constable Andy Marsh, College of Policing CEO, said: "More funding to support policing is welcome as the service continues to work relentlessly to prevent crime and protect the public.
"The additional police officers coming into the service will strengthen the existing workforce and allow forces to make decisions on how best to use this resource to keep the public safe.
"The demands and complexity of policing are changing and it is important that forces have the resource to continue tackling traditional crime types such as burglary, while also listening to the public and renewing our focus to better protect women and girls, improve diversity and build trust."
The publication of the provisional funding settlement opens a period of consultation. The final police funding settlement will be debated in Parliament ahead of the new financial year.
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