157 new police officers to patrol Wiltshire's streets to 'bolster force'

Nearly 160 new police officers will be joining Wiltshire Police in a bid to created an improved, 'more visible' police service.

The move is part of a national recruitment campaign to boost policing numbers, with the force announcing that 67 new officers are already now in place.

The Government scheme will fund 157 extra officers for Wiltshire Police, as well as six officers seconded to work in the South West Regional Organised Crime Unit (SW ROCU).

This will allow Wiltshire Police to increase its full-time equivalent police officer numbers to 1,165 by March 2023.

More than 200 new officers have joined the Force since the start of the Uplift programme in September 2019.

A further 160 student officers are set to start in the next 14 months, being trained until the end of the programme in March 2023. These student officers make up both additional uplift officers and those recruited to replace leavers.

Police and Crime Commissioner, Philip Wilkinson said: “I have heard loud and clear that residents in Wiltshire want to see an improved, and more visible police service from Wiltshire Police and these additional officers will play a key role in delivering that.

“The majority of the additional officers recruited so far have been deployed to Community Policing Teams with the focus of improving neighbourhood policing and community engagement.”

'It will take time before a meaningful difference is seen'

While the PCC says additional officers provide a “much-needed bolster for the Force to better protect communities support victims and help make Wiltshire safer”, Wilkinson warned that the policing service won’t change overnight.

“While these additional officers are of course a very welcome addition to Wiltshire, they are not a quick fix and it will take time before a meaningful difference is seen within our communities.

“It takes two to three years for a student officer to move through training and become fully independent, which includes the initial five months in the classroom.

“This is in addition to the 9-18 months it takes to get a student officer into the classroom following recruitment, vetting and medical checks.

“That said, we’re already starting to see the initial benefits of these additional officers and I continue to work with the Chief Constable to ensure that visible community policing remains central to future plans.”

Chris McCullin, Director of People and Change said that 2022 "promises to be a good year for officer numbers", with the force's "largest ever" recruitment and training programme.

"We are looking to bring in around 160 new officers to start training in the next 14 months.

“It’s great news for the public and more opportunities for those considering a career as a police officer in Wiltshire," he added.

Credit: Benjamin Paessler, Local Democracy Reporting Service