Recruitment of officers increases in Humberside

In the 12 months to June 2021, the Humberside area saw police officer numbers increase by nine percent on the previous year, despite the challenges posed by the Covid-19 pandemic. The recruitment process was reviewed in the light of government guidelines, but still continued – albeit in a different manner.

Nationally, 9,814 new officers have so far been recruited out of the 20,000 target.

Martin Hewitt, Chair of the National Police Chiefs Council, said: “These additional officers are most welcome as demand for policing services continues to increase post Covid. The figures show a good step forward, but there is much more to be done to continue to attract and recruit new officers and to retain those already in policing.

"We are striving to attract the best and most talented candidates to a career in policing. A substantial uplift in officer numbers gives us the opportunity to increase the diversity of our workforce, to better represent the communities we serve."

The recruitment drive is helping to make police more representative of the communities they serve. More than six thousand (6,033) female officers have been recruited nationally since April 2020, making up 42 percent of new recruits.

In Humberside, the proportion of female recruits is higher than the previous three years, and nationally, there are also more black, Asian and other ethnic minorities employed as officers across forces than at any other time in the country’s history, making up 11.3 percent of the new recruits.

This is also the case in Humberside, with recruits from black, Asian and other ethnic minority backgrounds improving from previous years.

Recruitment is encouraged by everyone, including underrepresented groups. There are many ways to join Humberside Police, such as the PEQF route which includes the Police Constable Degree Apprenticeship (PCDA).

Anyone interested in applying to Humberside can visit the force's Join Us page.