Police and Crime Commissioner praises recruitment announcement as Thames Valley Police exceeds national target

Thames Valley Police has exceeded the national Uplift programme recruitment target which brings the total number of officers to over 5,000 across Thames Valley

Matthew Barber, Police and Crime Commissioner for Thames Valley, has today welcomed the announcement that Thames Valley Police has exceeded its national Uplift Programme target by 175 police officers. This brings the total number of police officers to 5,034 by the end of March 2023.

The Home Office announced the national Uplift programme recruitment drive in July 2019, aiming to recruit an additional 20,000 police officers across all police forces in England by March 2023.

Welcoming today’s announcement, Matthew said: “I am delighted that Thames Valley Police has not only met, but exceeded the Uplift programme target by recruiting an additional 784 police officers since 2019. These additional officers will help to cut crime across Thames Valley, reassuring our communities that it is a safe place to live.

“Thames Valley Police now has more officers than ever before and the Force will continue to recruit police officers and PCSO as part of my plans to strengthen community policing. I recently announced details of my Crimefighters Strategy which will see the number of neighbourhood policing officers double over the coming year across Thames Valley.

“This refocus on community policing will enable officers to deliver a more proactive and responsive service that is better placed to effectively prevent and disrupt crime. This marks the beginning of a shift change for the force, which will help to build the trust of all our communities.

“Recruitment continues across the Force for police officers, PCSOs and staff. You can find out more about joining Thames Valley Police at tvpcareers.co.uk.”