Home Secretary Priti Patel praises Nottinghamshire Police following successful recruitment drive

Officer ranks are at their highest levels in the county in over a decade following a huge drive to bolster neighbourhoods and specialist policing teams.

The Police Uplift Programme was launched in 2019 as part of the Government’s commitment to recruit an additional 20,000 officers by March next year.

Nottinghamshire Police was tasked with reaching 2,380 officers by March 2023 – an ambitious target that has already been met.

By recruiting hundreds of new police officers, the force has now become one of the most representative in the country – with a more diverse group of officers more accurately reflecting the communities they serve.

Ms Patel was briefed on the hugely successful recruitment drive when she visited Nottinghamshire’s new joint police and fire headquarters in February.

As such, she was well-equipped to respond when the force’s recruitment drive was raised in the House of Commons last week.

Nottinghamshire MP Ruth Edwards (Con), the member for Rushcliffe, asked Ms Patel: “Will my right honourable friend join me in congratulating Nottinghamshire Police on hitting their recruitment uplift target a year ahead of schedule, so we now have more police officers in Nottinghamshire than at any time in the past 10 years?”

In response, Ms Patel replied: “I would just like to commend Nottinghamshire Police and your outstanding chief constable, if I may say so as well, for all the work the team have been doing, including really focusing on driving down crime through recruitment and the training of your officers.”

Ms Edwards’ question came three days after she visited the force’s headquarters alongside other local MPs.

Police and Crime Commissioner Caroline Henry (Con) and Chief Constable Craig Guildford welcomed M Edwards, Hucknall MP Mark Spencer (Con) and fellow Nottinghamshire MPs Ben Bradley (Con, Mansfield), Brendan Clarke-Smith (Con Bassetlaw), Lilian Greenwood (Lab, Nottingham South), Darren Henry (Con, Broxtowe), Tom Randall (Con, Gedling), and Nadia Whittome (Lab, Nottingham East) to the site on last month.

During a tour of the force’s new training school, control room and joint office complex – shared with Nottinghamshire Fire and Rescue Service – the MPs observed officers in training and met some of the new recruits who have helped the force hit its Uplift target early.

The MPs also spoke to PCC Henry about the newly-launched Make Notts Safe Plan, which sets out the PCC’s vision for policing in the county over the next four years.

Chf Con Guildford said: “An incredible amount of work went into smashing the target and I am pleased this was recently recognised in Parliament.

“We’ve achieved a really ambitious target a year ahead of schedule and my thanks go to everyone who made this possible.”

Mrs Henry added: "I want to thank the team for smashing its recruitment target ahead of schedule with officer ranks now at its highest number for 11 years.

"It is fantastic to see all this hard work getting recognition by the Home Secretary.”

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