The Government has now recruited 20,000 new police officers in England and Wales, according to new figures published on Wednesday 26th April.
The recent announcement confirms that the Conservative Party has delivered on its 2019 manifesto commitment to hire 20,000 additional officers, bringing the total number of officers to a new record high.
This police uplift programme will add 351 additional police officers to Derbyshire Constabulary within the last 3 years.
Speaking about the announcement, Angelique Foster, Police and Crime Commissioner for Derbyshire said: “I know that people want to see strong local policing in their communities. Since my election in 2021, I have pushed for improvements to help officers tackle crime more effectively, increase police visibility and bring more offenders to justice.
"I have made it clear that I expect a ‘zero laissez faire’ attitude to the problems that impact the lives of those who live and work in Derbyshire. The increase in officer numbers has been critical to that, with more than 300 additional officers who will soon be boosting police presence and increasing public confidence.
"It’s vital that people feel safe. By focusing on key issues such as violence against women and girls, burglary, road safety and anti-social behaviour, with extra funding provided by our Government, we are making significant progress in Derbyshire. I will continue to ensure that Derbyshire Constabulary provide the strong local policing people want and deserve.”
The Home Secretary, Rt Hon Suella Braverman KC MP, said: “Everyone deserves to feel safe in their communities, on their streets and in their homes. Now we've delivered on our 2019 manifesto promise, with more than 20,000 new police officers.
“With a record 150,000 police officers across England and Wales, people can trust in the Conservatives to keep our streets safe and deliver for local areas.”
This is Conservative Party delivery in action and represents the fulfilment of a key 2019 manifesto promise. It comes as part of a wider plan of action from the Conservatives to tackle crime across the nation.
Our Beating Crime Plan will deliver the change a safer Britain. We have invested a record amount in our bobbies with a £17.2bn policing budget for 2023/24. Our Police, Crime, Sentencing, and Courts Act will give our new recruits and courts with the powers they need to tackle serious crime head on. We’ve also kickstarting our £100 million Violence Against Women and Girls Strategy to protect the vulnerable in our society.
Our commitment to fighting crime, and our plan, is already driving results. Since 2010 we have cut crime[1] by almost 50% - making our communities safer. This has meant that we have reduced theft by 20 per cent, and domestic burglary by 30 per cent. And we’ve also taken 90,000 knives off our streets through stop and search, surrender initiatives and other targeted police action since 2019.
When it comes to the safety of your streets and our neighbourhoods, only the Conservatives can be trusted to deliver."