£24m For Extra Police Officers
26 January 2017, 05:00 | Updated: 26 January 2017, 08:40
Shaun Sawyer
00:43
Our Police and Crime Commissioner has announced £24million is being spent bringing more police officers to the streets of Devon and Cornwall.
It’ll mean the force can employ around 100 extra officers, which will take the total number back up to 3,000. An extra 50 criminal investigators and 30 online record takers will also be taken on.
It’s part of Alison Hernandez’s first Police and Crime Plan for Devon, Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly, for 2017-2020 and comes after the biggest consultation into policing issues here, which was commissioned last summer.
"Our consultation clearly showed the public wants better connectivity with, and accessibility to, its police force.” She said.
"This plan provides a direction to help communities become safer, more resilient and better connected and makes a Local Policing Promise to ensure that policing is accessible, responsive, informative and supportive.
"My aim is to have excellent policing, better co-ordination with the wider public services and resilient self-supporting communities. In that way we can all play our part in keeping each other safe.
"Devon and Cornwall Police is already a good force. Through better connection, clear direction and appropriate investment it can be one of the very best in the country.
"By freeing over £10m from reserves, by striving for further efficiencies, by raising money through the policing precept and changing other spending priorities, I have provided the Chief Constable with the funds to be one of the only Forces in the country to increase its number of officers."
Chief Constable Shaun Sawyer said: "Demand on the police is changing. We are still facing threats from organised crime and terrorism and must ensure we maintain and improve our capabilities to deal with this national threat. We are also facing the new and emerging threats from international cyber-crime and complex issues such as child sexual exploitation and modern slavery.
"We will be looking to develop our staff to meet these threats and protect the vulnerable.
"Devon and Cornwall Police prides itself on its local policing style and a team approach to keeping people safe. We will maintain the core elements within local policing to improve the connection with our communities, both digitally and through more traditional methods.
"The frontline has become very stretched over the past years of austerity. At the same time demand has increased and the need for specialist capabilities, such as firearms officers and public order trained staff, has grown to meet the national and international threats.
"The redesign and reprioritisation of our workforce will require us to move some staff from existing roles, such as PCSOs, to other police staff roles, new staff investigation roles or to join up as police officers depending on their career aspirations and suitability.
"The changes made over the coming years will enable us to better connect with our communities, detect and prevent harm, reduce crime, protect the most vulnerable and provide a high quality of service to the public when they need us."
