Rishi Sunak claims government has met its target of 20,000 new police officers
26 April 2023, 00:05 | Updated: 26 April 2023, 10:00
Rishi Sunak has claimed that the government has met its target of hiring 20,000 new officers since 2019.
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The pledge dates back to a pledge made in Boris Johnson's election campaign in 2019.
A total of 20,951 new police officers have been recruited in England and Wales in the past three years.
Of the 43 territorial police forces in England and Wales, 42 have met or exceeded their target for new officers.
The one exception is the Metropolitan Police, which has missed its target by more than 1,000. The Met had a target of 4,557 new officers but had provisionally recruited only 3,468 by March 2023.
Mr Sunak had claimed the government was on the cusp of reaching the figure on Tuesday night.
He said on Wednesday morning: "In 2019 we promised to recruit 20,000 additional police officers in England and Wales to make our streets safer and protect communities.
"Today, I’m pleased to say we have delivered that promise."
Home Secretary Tells Police to Use Common Sense Instead of Political Correctness
It comes after Suella Braverman called for police to use increased stop and search powers, instead of "getting into debates on social media about gender" and "dancing on the street".
Speaking to LBC's Nick Ferrari on Wednesday, the home secretary explained her idea of "common-sense policing" that she wants officers to focus on, rather than "political correctness".
"Common-sense policing is about responding and reflecting the priorities that the British people have," she said.
"So we don't want to see the police getting into debates on social media about gender. We don't want to see the police dancing on the street.
"We don't want to see the police holding back from taking courageous decisions on grooming gangs because of fears of political correctness.
"I want to see the police using their stop and search powers - their increased... stop and search powers that we've given them so that they can reduce violence and save lives."
Asked by Nick if she was concerned that increasing the use of controversial stop and search powers would alienate some communities, she said she was pleased that more people from ethnic minorities had joined police forces.
"One priority of policing is to engage proactively with communities," she said. "That's why I'm very pleased that we have a very high number of people coming into the police force from ethnic minorities, women, so that we are reflecting the communities that we engage with."
She added: "I think the public would agree that there's a perception that the police have been pulled off track on some instances and particularly some high profile instances.
"That's one reason why I've introduced new guidance on non-crime hate incidents, so that we ensure that freedom of expression is protected and that the police are not overly policing lawful" incidents.
I believe in the police. But the policing in which I believe isn't riven with political correctness but enshrined in good old-fashioned common sense
"I believe in the police. But the policing in which I believe isn't riven with political correctness but enshrined in good old-fashioned common sense."
Her comments come after criticism at how officers have policed events.
A man came close to arrest on Tuesday morning following a heated confrontation with Metropolitan Police officers, after footage emerged showing him attempting to push eco-protesters out the way of standstill traffic.
Officers told him that pushing them would amount to assault.
Police had previously been criticised for doing the macarena at a Pride event in Lincoln, with some branding it as "woke".
Prime Minister Claims Recruitment of 20,000 New Officers is Almost Complete
Mr Sunak is hoping to bat away criticism from his opponents about police recruitment, with suggestions it was lagging behind its commitment to replacing thousands of roles slashed during austerity.
It had until the end of March to reach the 20,000 figure.
Mr Sunak said: "When I stood at the steps of Downing Street six months ago, I made clear that I would do whatever it takes to cut crime and make our communities safer. At the heart of that pledge is recruiting 20,000 additional police officers.
"We await the final statistics expected today but, as I have previously set out, I am confident we are on the cusp of meeting that promise. This would be a significant moment, meaning we have more police officers in England and Wales than ever before.
"This is not only about putting more officers on our streets, it has also been a once-in-a-generation opportunity to change the face of policing, attracting more women and people from ethnic minority backgrounds, and making the police become more representative of the communities they serve."
£3.6 Billion Plan to Recruit 20,000 Officers Set to Cost £18.5 Billion Over Decade
Figures in January showed more than 3,000 officers needed to be recruited to hit the target.
There have been fears that a rush to bring in the new cops will lead to lower-quality or even rogue cops being hired.
The Sunday Telegraph reported some forces were bringing back failed candidates to meet the target.
And inspectors for His Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire and Rescue Services said problems within the Metropolitan Police were being made worse by the number of young and inexperienced staff brought in as part of the recruitment drive.
Sir Mark Rowley previously questioned the wisdom of recruiting so many officers in such a short space of time.
The Home Office has insisted they will all have to take part in the "rigorous" vetting process.
The plan will have cost £3.6 billion by March, with a total cost of £18.5 billion over the next decade.
