Lincolnshire Police to recruit 120 frontline officers

Lincolnshire Police has announced one of its largest-ever recruitment drives as it prepares to add 120 frontline officers to the force later this year.

The force previously said last year that it planned to recruit 400 police officers over the next two and a half years subject to receiving a fair proportion of government funding.

The latest news will help the force in its target to deliver 1,130 officers by the end of the next financial year, with longer-term plans for further recruitment.

Prime Minsiter Boris Johnson previously pledged to reverse cuts and recruit 20,000 new police officers nationally.

Forces in England and Wales lost 20,564 officers between March 2010 and March 2019, Home Office figures show.

The Home Office and police officials have argued that a recruitment target of 50,000 is actually required to fill gaps in the service.

Money from a successful Special Grant application, secured by Police and Crime Commissioner Marc Jones, and the council tax precept, will now be used to further boost the Government’s officer uplift programme.

Part of this year’s overall funding figure of £95.5 million comes from a 4.1% council tax precept rise. 

Marc Jones and Chief Constable Bill Skelly have pledged to plough extra resources into frontline policing, with the latter saying: “This is excellent news for communities across Lincolnshire as we continue to strive for the best possible service in keeping them safe.

“Although we know we’ll receive extra funding in the years to come as part of the government’s uplift programme, we are using our own resources to bring forward that recruitment as much as possible. That means our initial lift of 50 officers – from the planned baseline figure of 1,020 – has been boosted even further.

“This allows us to put more officers back into our communities, while investing in a range of key areas to keep people safe.”

PCC Marc Jones added: “We have spent four years wisely investing in cutting edge technology to create a modern police force that is the envy of many around the UK. That investment has ensured our front-line officers are better equipped to keep our communities safe and fight crime.

“Now, after robust financial management, we can enhance services further by embarking on the one of the biggest recruitment drives in the force’s history.

“It all adds up to a bright future in which we can continue to ensure Lincolnshire remains one of the safest places in the country.”