North Wales to get 62 police officers

The UK Government revealed on Wednesday that it will provide £750million funding for police forces across the UK with the aim to boost officer numbers by 6,000 by 2021.

It comes at a time when “police resources continue to be stretched with soaring demands,” a North Wales Police boss said.

The new funding is part of the UK Government’s £1billion pledge to recruit 20,000 officers over the next three years which could see an extra 200 police officers in North Wales by 2022.

Carl Foulkes, chief constable of North Wales Police, said it is “good news” for North Wales communities and aspiring police officers.

“It’s without doubt a very positive step forward which will allow us to focus on the issues which matter most to our local communities and continue to work towards making North Wales the safest place in the UK,” he said.

Dyfed-Powys Police will get 42 officers as part of the 2020-21 plan, while Cheshire will get 90 officers, Merseyside a total of 200 and the Met Police the largest recruitment drive at 1,369.

The North Wales force has already carried out job interviews ahead of the UK Government announcement, with the next recruitment window set to open on October 14.

Mark Jones, general secretary of North Wales Police, said: “Naturally we are very pleased with the Home Office announcement regarding the uplift in police officer numbers. Police resources continue to be stretched with soaring demands on the police service, so additional numbers are welcomed.

“We will, as always, continue to work with the force to ensure that our dedicated and brave members are best supported as they protect our local communities.”

John Apter, National Chair of the Police Federation of England and Wales said the investment is “long overdue” and that there must be “a fairer allocation of officers across all forces”

“This is certainly a positive start and will provide a much-needed boost to my members and the communities they serve,” he said.