ESSEX Police force ranks are set to swell by an additional 151 officers this year.<\/p>\n
The recruits will mean nearly 600 officers will have been sworn into the role over the past three years, representing \u2018welcome\u2019 growth according to Essex Police Federation.<\/p>\n
The extra officers are part of the Government\u2019s promised 20,000 increase in police numbers in England and Wales.<\/p>\n
Essex Police Federation Chairman said the extra bodies are urgently needed, but that patience must be shown as they are trained and start learning the job.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe welcome the growth. It\u2019s urgently needed and very much appreciated,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cWith that growth and with the funds that have been secured to make that happen, we just require a bit of patience and a bit of expectation management.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe cannot just pick another bobby off the tree. They need to be trained properly. The standards need to be maintained. We don\u2019t need to rush to get bums on seats.\u201d<\/p>\n
An increase in infrastructure and back-office needs run in parallel with new frontline officers, Steve said.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere\u2019s a lot of work that goes into that. A lot of it is behind the scenes, and a lot of it requires investment in non-frontline function.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe need better and bigger and more capable vetting facilities. We need more uniform stores. We need more trainers. We need a lot of extra things to support that frontline because otherwise, it falls over and standards slip, and we all suffer.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe need that holistic approach to growth, not just bums on seats frontline.\u201d<\/p>\n
The public too need to be patient and realise it takes time for new officers to get up to speed and get the experience they need under their belts.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen a member of the public looks at one of our officers in uniform, they don\u2019t see they\u2019ve got just three months in,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey see an officer, and they expect a certain level of service from that officer – we have to do what we can to mitigate and manage that.\u201d<\/p>\n
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