Nearly 9,000 officers recruited under drive to hit 20,000

Home Office statistics released today (29 April) said an overall provisional headcount for officers in England and Wales stood at 137,704 as of March 31. Since the launch of the Police Uplift Programme in September 2019, 8,771 officers have been recruited, 2,771 more than the initial target of recruiting 6,000 additional… Forces have hired nearly 9,000 officers under the government’s drive to recruit 20,000 by 2023, according to official figures....

Signing off: A life less ordinary on the frontline

It’s not often the top brass single out an officer for praise on social media for a doing a job few would thank them for. But that’s exactly what Thames Valley’s Assistant Chief Constable Tim de Meyer did to mark the retirement of PC Julie Susel. He shared: “Decades of… She started as a Special and became the go-to officer for the Traveller community. As she retires, award-wining PC Julie Susel of Thames Valley shares why it’s good to talk and her love of the job....

Recruitment to fill specialist roles still difficult says NCA

The NCA has difficulty filling a number of specialist roles and is too dependent on the skills of an ageing workforce many of who are close to retirement, according to evidence submitted to the agency’s pay negotiating body. However it says that recruitment rates for the majority of roles have… Record intake to agency last year but pay freeze halts bid to even up pay rates with police forces and other agencies ...

Ex-College CEO joins justice sector training body

Mike Cunningham is joining Skills for Justice, a not-for-profit training and workforce organisation that works across the justice and local government sectors. Mr Cunningham stood down at the end of last year as Chief Executive of the College of Policing rounding off a career of more than 30 years in… The former head of the College of Policing is joining the justice sector’s training body....

South Wales' new DCC transfers from Northumbria

DCC Bacon’s appointment was confirmed last month and she joins South Wales Police from Northumbria Police, where she was Assistant Chief Constable. DCC Bacon’s policing career started at Sussex Police in 1995 before moving to Northumberland in 2017. She worked as a detective for many years and was Head of… South Wales Police has appointed Rachel Bacon as their new Deputy Chief Constable....

Neil Basu announced as new strategic command course director

Metropolitan Police Assistant Commissioner Neil Basu will be responsible for leading the 2021 strategic command course (SCC), which prepares officers and staff for promotion to the most senior ranks. AC Basu is head of specialist operations at the Met. He is currently the most senior serving BAME officer. The college… The Met’s head of specialist operations, Neil Basu, will be joining the College of Policing on secondment...

South Yorkshire appoints new Deputy Chief Constable

Assistant Chief Constable Lauren Poultney has been appointed Deputy Chief Constable of South Yorkshire Police. Chief Constable Stephen Watson announced the appointment yesterday (15 April). CC Watson will be moving on to head up Greater Manchester Police in May. ACC Poultney will take up the post at the end of… South Yorkshire Police is set for a reshuffle of its leadership team....

New officer receives relative’s 100-year-old collar number

A student officer has received the same 83 collar number as his great-great-great grandfather who became one of Leicestershire’s best known officers and was featured on postcards after he joined in 1908.   PC Dan Challis joined the force in November 2020.  His great-great-great grandfather, PC John William Stephens was… Leicestershire PC’s famous forbearer weighed 25 stone and served in Anglo-Zulu war ...

City cyber ACC appointed to board of crime prevention body

Assistant Commissioner Angela McLaren of the City of London Police has joined the Board of Directors for Police Crime Prevention Initiatives (Police CPI), the police owned organisation that works to deliver crime prevention and demand reduction to support the wider UK police service, Earlier this year the City of London… Angela McLaren will use her NPCC cyber crime portfolio to help work of police owned organisation ...

Northamptonshire's Assistant Chief Constable James Andronov retires

ACC Andronov officially leaves the force on May 1, after a 30-year policing career which started with West Midlands Police His first posting was at Kings Heath Police Station in Birmingham in 1991 and he has servied in a broad range of local policing, investigative and operation roles mostly in… ACC Andronov leaves the force after four years in the post....