Bishop’s Stortford’s Conservative MP is backing Home Secretary Priti Patel on restoring police numbers.
Backbencher Julie Marson – who joined Ms Patel for a controversial town centre walkabout and ‘meet and greet’ with police in Bishop’s Stortford on Thursday – issued a statement welcoming 111 more officers for Hertfordshire Constabulary since the Government launched a major recruitment drive over a year ago.
She said that according to the Home Office the new recruits bring the total number in the county’s force to 2,077.
According to Herts Police and Crime Commissioner David Lloyd’s office, there were “over 2,100” in December, after the force hit its target of recruiting 91 officers in 2020-21.
The record number of officers in Herts was 2,202 in 2007, when Labour was in power and the county’s population was 127,000 lower – 1,068,000 compared to 1,195,000 in 2019. County police numbers dropped to a low of 1,911 in 2015 after five years of the Conservative and Liberal Democrat coalition Government.
PCC Lloyd’s aim is for 2,314 to be in post by April 2023.
Mrs Marson said: “Getting more police officers onto our streets is one of the people’s priorities, and so I am delighted that in just over one year, this Conservative Government has already delivered an extra 111 officers across Hertfordshire.
“Every one of these officers will make an enormous difference in helping to cut crime and keep people safe – and I know that many more will follow as this Government continues to deliver on its promise to recruit 20,000 more over the next three years.
“By backing our police with the funding, powers and resources they need, we are keeping the public and our communities safe so that people everywhere can live their lives free from the fear of crime.”
Since the launch of the Government’s recruitment campaign a year ago, 6,620 officers have joined the 43 forces in England and Wales – exceeding the target of 6,000 by March 2021.
The Government says it is on track to deliver its manifesto pledge to recruit 20,000 officers by 2023.
The police workforce is now more diverse, with 10.2% of new recruits identifying as Black, Asian and minority ethnic, and officers from these groups now numbering 9,871 in all.
Ms Patel, who is MP for Witham in Essex, said: “Many of these new officers are already on our streets helping to fight the coronavirus pandemic, and for that they get my huge thanks.
“These new officers, on top of further funding to tackle crimes such as burglary, robbery and vehicle crime, will ensure the police have the powers, tools and resources they need to cut crime and make you feel safer in your community.”
Alongside the recruitment campaign, the Government has announced the second round of the Safer Streets Fund, backed by £20m of new money, to crack down on neighbourhood crimes.
Other steps to support front-line officers include a £636m funding boost this year, bringing the total to £15.8 billion.
PCC Lloyd wants to raise Herts police numbers from 2,100 now to 2,267 by April 2022 – partly funded by a 7.5% rise in his portion of council tax bills this spring. For a band D household, this would mean paying £213 in 2021-22, up £15 from the current level of £198. In 2018-19, band D households in Herts paid £164 for policing, which means the costs will have risen 30% in three years.
Policing costs account for around 10% of council tax bills in Stortford. The total band D bill in April for councils’ and police services in 2021-22 is expected to be around £1,930, up from the current level of £1,855.
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