Police have promised there will be more officers on the streets as they reach their highest numbers of the past 11 years. The force's Operation Reacher and dedicated knife crime teams are also expected to grow as they prioritise important areas, as well as drug dealing and sexual offences.
Nottinghamshire Police have announced that they reached 2,380 officers by March 2022, meaning the force met their recruitment target a year early - the ranks haven’t been this high since March 2011 when there were 2,362 officers serving the county. Chief Constable of Nottinghamshire Police Craig Guildford said the increased numbers will mean more officers out, in the community, providing visibility in areas of concern for the public right across the county.
He told Nottinghamshire Live: "It's really good news for the community - it's new blood, a growth in numbers and more jobs created as well. It will increase visibility, it will be more people out on the streets across the whole of the city and the county.
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"The knock-on effect will be that there will be an increased head count across some departments which will undoubtedly help us in the fight against crime. For example, the Reacher teams are going to grow, our knife teams are going to grow and our roads teams are going to grow.
"It's vitally important because it means we're going to get good people working for us who also have more experience and can best serve the public - we are a year in front when it comes to recruitment. The message to the public is that there's more of us fighting crime and being visible in the community.
"These new officers will be distributed to tutors who work right across the board." He added that there will be an emphasis and investment in prosecuting drug dealers across Nottinghamshire, as well as in supporting victims and taking down those involved in sexual offences.
"To all of this throughout Covid has really made it one of my proudest achievements," he said. New Nottinghamshire Police recruits are subject to a probationary period and are assigned a tutor, who they follow and learn from while they carry out a range of different duties on the front line.
One of the new recruits, PC Dan Humphrey, who is 21 and will be based at Radford Road Police Station, said: “It’s a proud day for me and my family. I joined the force as a PCSO when I was 19 and am really excited to now be a police constable.
“It’s a big job as you play an important role in people’s lives. You’re there to help people often in their worst times. It’s not just about arresting people, it’s about making sure people are safe and supporting them. We’re all really looking forward to serving our local communities.”
Minister of State for Crime and Policing, Kit Malthouse, hailed it as a "cracking performance by a force at the top of its game". He added: "I’m delighted to see Nottinghamshire Police recruit their share of the 20,000 new officers so far ahead of schedule and I salute the commitment of all the new recruits, from so many varied backgrounds, who have stepped forward to join with such enthusiasm.
"As we confront crime in all its forms, having a growing, energetic police force, led with skill and clarity of purpose, will mean ever safer neighbourhoods across the whole of Nottinghamshire.” Police and Crime Commissioner Caroline Henry said: “In Nottinghamshire, we have been really proactive in attracting the brightest and the best talent to join our amazing police force.
"I’m delighted that we’ve cracked on and achieved our Uplift target a year early. This is an exceptional achievement and I’d like to thank all the fantastic people involved for their hard work in making this happen.
“Not only do we have more police officers than we’ve had in over a decade, we’ve also got a workforce that is more diverse and more representative of Nottinghamshire. When I was elected I promised additional police officers and to make our streets safer. I’m delivering on that promise. Our new cohorts will make a huge difference and people will be safer.”
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