This in from the office of Police and Crime Commissioner, Simon Hayes.
OnTheWight asked how many officers that would mean for the Island, a spokesperson for Simon Hayes’ office replied,
“This recruitment is designed to keep the total numbers of officers across the Island and Hampshire steady, not additional to the officers already in post. This is designed to counter when officers retire or leave the force, which is obviously expected on the Island as well as the mainland.” In their own words. Ed
Simon Hayes, the Police and Crime Commissioner for Hampshire and the Isle of Wight has today confirmed that an additional 90 police officers will be recruited into Hampshire Constabulary, taking the total of new officers being recruited over the next 12 months to 198 – the largest number to enter the force since 2010.
Following the Spending Review in December 2015, the Commissioner announced an additional 108 police officers would be recruited into the Constabulary. Since this announcement, the council tax precept has been agreed by the Police and Crime Panel at 1.99% and a clearer understanding of the national financial picture has been developed; this has better informed future financial predictions.
Hampshire Constabulary has also undertaken detailed analysis of its workforce which has indicated to the Commissioner that the budget will allow the recruitment of a further 90 police officers to maintain current levels.
Simon Hayes,
“This illustrates the complicated, and detailed, financial planning we’ve needed to undertake to ensure we can afford, with the money available, to provide the highest numbers of officers to protect people and places across Hampshire and the Isle of Wight.
“It has, and will remain, a priority for me to protect local neighbourhood policing teams – this is the heart of the British policing model, so valued and respected by the public.”
He went on to say
“In some parts of the Country, neighbourhood policing has gone, but not here. I am pleased to be able to confirm we will be recruiting an even higher number of officers, and be able to at least maintain our current policing levels into the foreseeable future, taking our latest recruitment figure to just under 200.
“I am delighted to say that the force is already seeing a large number of applicants apply through this latest recruitment campaign and I would encourage anyone to go to the Hampshire Constabulary Website to get more details.
“I would like to thank people living in Hampshire and the Isle of Wight for continuing to support policing locally, which was shown most recently by their overwhelming support to raise the council tax precept. It has been this support, despite Government cuts nationally, that is allowing me to recruit these additional police officers at this time.”
