Increase In South Yorkshire Officers Is Positive Step

SOUTH Yorkshire Police is set to grow by 220 police officers between now and 2024, news which has been hailed as a ‘great sign’ by South Yorkshire Police Federation.

A council tax precept increase has funded 55 more officers in this year’s budget, while an additional 13 officers will be recruited in the financial year ahead.

In 2020/21 a further 73 will be added using efficiencies from a PCSO review and a 79 more will come by 2024 through further savings.

The force is set to launch its most significant recruitment drive since 2008, and overall, more than 500 new PCs will be recruited to replace retiring officers.

“This will be a growing of the establishment,” said Federation Chairman Steve Kent (pictured).

“That 220 is a plus figure – it may well be a lot higher, so it’s just a really good sign.

“The Chief Constable is pulling all the strings he can, getting officers back in and if the new Prime Minister does increase budgets across the board, then I would expect that number to grow.

“The result of that would be we have to grow our infrastructure in terms of training, but that would be a nice problem to have. The officers out there on the streets will still be doing a bloody hard job every day but will at least probably be able to manage it.

“At the minute, it’s like trying to juggle several balls.”