Police: Recruitment

Home Office written question – answered at on 14 January 2020.

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Photo of Stephen Morgan Stephen Morgan Shadow Minister for Local Government (Communities)

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department is taking to ensure the police recruitment process is based upon skills directly relevant to those required by the role.

Photo of Stephen Morgan Stephen Morgan Shadow Minister for Local Government (Communities)

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department is taking to increase the support available to people wishing to become police officers but who do not meet the entry requirements.

Photo of Stephen Morgan Stephen Morgan Shadow Minister for Local Government (Communities)

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department is taking to improve the police recruitment process to increase diversity within UK police forces.

Photo of Kit Malthouse Kit Malthouse The Minister of State, Home Department

The Government is committed to delivering the people’s priorities including the recruitment of an additional 20,000 police officers over the next three years.

Police officer entry requirements are set by the College of Policing. The Home Office is working with the National Police Chiefs Council, the College of Policing and forces to ensure there are no undue barriers for anyone who is qualified to do so from joining the police. New entry routes introduced by the College of Policing have been designed to equip officers with the skills they need for modern policing. The new training curriculum includes cyber-enabled crime, vulnerability and risk, well-being and resilience, criminology and crime prevention. Many forces are already using these new entry routes.

While the police workforce is more representative in terms of gender and ethnicity than it has ever been, there is still much more to be done. We have been clear that the uplift in officers is an important opportunity to improve diversity. However, recruitment is not the only way in which Forces can improve equality and diversity. Retention and progression also play a crucial role, particularly in enabling officers and staff to move into more senior and more specialised ranks and roles.

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