Dorset Police sees extra 75 officers join in a year

SEVENTY-FIVE officers have joined Dorset Police in the past year through its own recruitment and a government scheme to boost numbers, but the amount for Christchurch was not revealed.

The first phase of the government’s uplift programme following Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s pledge to add 20,000 new officers to forces’ ranks nationwide concluded in June.

. But county police federation chair Zoe Wakefield said that with the force’s own intake programme complementing this, up to 500 were expected to have joined by next spring.eight for the New ForestAs reported in the A&T, 156 were allocated for Hampshire Constabulary, including

pledged that all 75 officers would take up frontline policing roles following initial training, with 29 of them already in place. They would be posted to various locations across the county.forceDorset’s

However, a spokesperson said: “We are unable to provide more specific detail as the force constantly reviews staffing levels based on priority and demand.

“This ensures we are able to place new officers in the right locations to prioritise threat, risk, harm and vulnerability.”

Seventeen of the student officers supported the force command centre at the start of the Covid-19 pandemic but have since returned to continue training with their colleagues.

Assistant Chief Constable Julie Fielding said: “Throughout the Covid-19 pandemic we have continued to operate, recruit and train officers to ensure we are able to see these extra officers go out onto the frontline and support our communities.

“This has included our regular intakes, as well as those under the uplift programme.”