Dorset Police welcomes hundreds of new recruits to help keep communities safe
New Police Officers will improve confidence says PCC David Sidwick
Dorset Police have welcomed hundreds of new police officers to the force over the last three years as part of the national Uplift programme.
They exceeded their target of 166 new police officers and instead recruited 174 policemen and women from a wide range of backgrounds, ages and ethnicity’s.
This is the largest intake of trainee officers in Dorset since the creation of Police and Crime Commissioners back in 2012.
There has been 14% increase in the number of officers serving today as there were in 2019 (from 1,267 to 1,441).
Since 2019, there has been an increase in female officers from 382 to 472 and officers identifying as Black, Asian, or ethnically diverse has almost doubled.
Police & Crime Commissioner, David Sidwick said: “These new recruits will mean there are more officers serving the people and communities of Dorset and adding extra strength and depth to the service.”
He believes the uplift program is “integral” to delivering the Police and Crime Plan and will ultimately help Dorset Police reach their goal of making Dorset the safest county.
PCC Sidwick added: “I have been very clear that it is visibility in our communities that the people of Dorset want to see, and it is these additional officers that will ensure that it is achieved.”
78 out of 117 officers recruited in the first two years have been allocated to response and neighbourhood policing teams.
At a time when confidence in the police force, nationally, is low, The Police and Crime Commission is confident “Dorset Police very much have the support of local people” he added: “I have clearly stated, I do not expect anyone with a poor moral compass to be part of Dorset Police.
Chief Constable Amanda Pearson also insists that Dorset Police have recruited “the right people with the right attributes.”
She said: “They all share the same level of passion, energy and commitment to be tough on crime, keep people safe and put victims and witnesses first.”
Mr Sidwick also noted: “Confidence in policing relies on one core principle, ‘do the police do the job that the people expect them to do?’ and it is this uplift that allows us to have the resources to do that effectively.”
The Force is committed to sustaining police officer numbers over the coming years and plans are already in place to recruit a further 155 officers by the end of March 2024.
We spoke to two new officers Police Constable Beverley Beck based in Poole and Police Constable Jody Durkin-Jones.
PC Beck spent years working for the civil service and Foreign Office but she’s been telling us why she joined the force: “I have wanted to be a police officer for over 20 years, but I never really had the courage to go for it.
“I wanted to be in a job where it wasn’t going to be the same day in and day out and where I would be making a difference and having an impact on people’s lives every single day.”
“I would describe the training process as challenging but very rewarding and I would tell anyone thinking of joining to prepare for a role that promises to be different every day, but isn’t the normal 9 to 5.”