The recruitment of 141 new officers will increase Devon and Cornwall’s police officer numbers by five per cent.
The Government said it is providing £750-million to support forces to recruit up to 6,000 extra officers by the end of 2020-21.
Police and crime commissioner for Devon, Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly, Alison Hernandez, said she was ‘delighted’ with the announcement made on Tuesday (October 8).
‘This is great news for our communities and for anyone wanting to start a career as a police officer.
‘We are in a better position than other forces in that we were recruiting before the Government announced this uplift, so we have already got some newly-trained officers and have lined up plenty of potential recruits.’
Geoffrey Cox, MP for Torridge and West Devon, said: 'The first 6,000 officers will be in post by March 2021 and I am very pleased that, in this first year alone, Devon and Cornwall will receive an additional 141 police officers on top of the nearly 300 extra officers who will be recruited throughout the South West.'The Government has stipulated that rural areas such as Torridge must see the benefit from the new police officers.'This investment helps to give local police forces throughout Devon and Cornwall the resources they need to tackle crime and keep the public safe.'I welcome the additional investment this government has made in our local police force, which faces challenges unique to its rural location.'All officers recruited as part of the 20,000 uplift will be additional to those hired to fill existing vacancies. They are also on top of the extra officers already being recruited because of the £1-billion increase in police funding for 2019-20, which includes money from council tax and for serious violence.
Government funding for recruitment in 2020-21 will cover all associated costs, including training and kit.
The National Policing Board, set up by Prime Minister Boris Johnson in July to drive progress recruitment and other major policing issues, heard on Tuesday that all forces were accelerating their recruitment.
Home secretary Priti Patel said: ‘The public are clear they want to see more police officers on their streets, whether they live in the city or the countryside.
‘This is the people’s priority and it is exactly what the Government is delivering.
‘This means there will be more than 400 more officers across the South West, helping to reassure communities and keep them safe.’