Lincolnshire Police to recruit 400 new officers

Lincolnshire Police have begun recruiting 400 officers.
Lincolnshire Police have announced the recruitment of 400 officers to keep the streets of the county safe.Lincolnshire Police have announced the recruitment of 400 officers to keep the streets of the county safe.
Lincolnshire Police have announced the recruitment of 400 officers to keep the streets of the county safe.

The drive follows Prime Minister Boris Johnson's pledge to spend £750 million putting 20,000 more bobbies on the beat nationally.

Chancellor Sajid Javid announced in his Spending Review today that there will be a 6.3 per cent increase in real-terms Home Office spending (£750m) to fund the first year of the Government’s plan to recruit the 20,000 new police officers.There will also be an extra £45m provided so recruitment can start immediately, getting at least 2,000 officers in place by end of March.He also announced a five per cent real-terms increase in the resources budget for the Ministry of Justice as well as confirming the extra £80m for the Crown Prosecution Service.

In Lincolnshire, the 400 officers will be recruited over the next two-and-a-half years.

Lincolnshire Police Assistant Chief Officer Andrew White said: “This is a fantastic opportunity to join an organisation where you really can have a job for life. The opportunities are endless within Lincolnshire Police.

"As a new recruit you will participate in a 21 week training programme, then you’ll be with a tutor for 10 weeks, and then you’re out independently enforcing the law and protecting the public in Lincolnshire.

"Once you’re one of our policing family you’ll be privy to all kind of opportunities here – you could become a detective, or work in Major Crime, or in our Neighbourhood Teams, or a role in our protecting vulnerable people department…the list is endless.“Not only that, but working for this force and really making a difference makes you feel proud every day. Helping victims, resolving community issues, making a contribution to this fantastic county – it really is an extraordinary job.”Mr White continued: “From November our recruitment will really be increased, it’ll be at two to three times our normal levels and that’s just fantastic for Lincolnshire.

"For a long time we’ve been making the case for extra funding for this force because we are the lowest funded in the country and the fact that we will be able to deploy extra officers on the county’s streets means that people in Lincolnshire will be safer and better served."

With the announcement comes clarification on entry qualifications. Mr White said: "“People interested in policing will no doubt be aware that we have challenged the College of Policing in relation to their plans to make it mandatory that all new recruits have a degree.

"That isn’t the case here, we accept entrants with a level 3 qualification and this will continue until at least June 2021.“In recent recruitment campaigns we have also focused on people who want to be based in the East of the county and those who speak Polish, Lithuanian or Latvian. We’re still keen for that but it’s not essential.

"We are recruiting so many new officers that we will be able to accommodate anyone with a passion for policing and public service, and anyone who wants a career that is not only hugelyvaried but also makes a huge difference. It’s all here in Lincolnshire.”

The news has been welcomed by PCC Marc Jones, who had already brought an extra £1.8m of funding to the county earlier this year.He has lobbied – with the support of the majority of county MPs – for fairer funding for the county since he came to office three years ago.“The announcement of extra funding is great news for Lincolnshire,” said Mr Jones. “I have been relentless in my pursuit of fairer funding for our hard pressed police force and in making the case to Government at the highest levels that more needs to be invested in policing generally, and Lincolnshire specifically, and it is gratifying to see those pleas have not gone unheard.“I am delighted our force will now be welcoming potentially hundreds of extra officers over the next four years – making our communities even safer.“After years of investing in the best technology and equipment these officers will join a force at the cutting edge of modern policing and will quickly be able to make a real difference on the front line.“I very much look forward to seeing the new officers on the streets of Lincolnshire preventing crime, pursuing criminals and protecting our residents from harm.”To apply to become a police officer, visit https://www.lincs.police.uk/.