• Nearly 9,000 police officers have been recruited as part of the Government’s campaign to recruit an additional 20,000 by March 2023, with 155 more in Sussex alone.
• This means the target for year one of the recruitment push – to recruit 6,000 officers by March 2021 – has been dramatically exceeded, with nearly 45 per cent of the 20,000 already recruited by forces.

Henry Smith MP has welcomed the announcement that 155 police officers have been recruited in Sussex in the first year of Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s campaign to recruit 20,000 by March 2023, as part of the 8,771 additional officers that have been recruited across England and Wales.

This means the Government’s target of recruiting 6,000 officers by March 2021 in the first year of the programme has been dramatically exceeded, with the halfway milestone likely to be reached within the coming weeks.

The addition of these new officers brings the total number of police across Sussex up to 2,942, meaning there are now more frontline officers on our streets to keep the public safe.

Henry said;

“Getting more police officers onto our streets is one of the people’s priorities, and so I’m delighted that this Government has already delivered an extra 155 officers across Sussex.

“Every one of these officers will make an enormous difference in helping to cut crime and keep people safe – and I know that many more will follow as this People’s Government continues to deliver on its promise to recruit 20,000 more over the next three years.

“By backing our police with the funding, powers and resources they need, we’re keeping the public and our communities safe, so that people everywhere can live their lives free from the fear of crime.

“I’m pleased to be supporting central government as well as the Sussex Police & Crime Commissioner, Katy Bourne, in their continued work to increase officer numbers locally.”

The commitment to recruit an additional 20,000 police officers was one of Boris Johnson’s key pledges during the Conservative Party leadership contest nearly two years ago.

The new figures have also confirmed that every single force across England and Wales has met or exceeded their recruitment targets. 139,000 people have applied to join the police since the start of the recruitment programme.

Analysis of diversity data shows that there are now 10,218 officers from a Black, Asian & Minority Ethnic background – the highest number on record.

In addition to recruiting 20,000 additional police officers, the Government is supporting the police with the powers they need to crack down on crime, including through introducing the landmark Police, Crime, Sentencing & Courts Bill – which will give the police additional powers to get knives off the streets, a £636 million funding boost for police forces this year, and a new police covenant – which will enhance support and protection for frontline police officers.

The Prime Minister, Boris Johnson, commented;

“When I became Prime Minister, I made a commitment that we would recruit more police officers, cut crime and make your streets safer.

“In just one year, we have hired an extra 9,000 extra police officers, smashing our first-year target and putting us well on track to recruit the 20,000 new officers we promised.”

The Home Secretary, Priti Patel, added;

“As Home Secretary, keeping you, your family and our country safe is my number one priority.

“One of the Government’s key promises was to put an extra 20,000 police officers on our streets, and I’m delighted that one year in we have surpassed expectations and already recruited nearly 9,000 additional police officers.

“Our police officers are the very best of us and I will continue to give them the resources and powers they need to keep us and our loved ones safe.”