Campaign nets extra recruits

New figures released yesterday revealed that West Mercia Police received 276 enquiries during the first stage of a nationwide recruitment campaign.

Of those, 100 have already been assessed, with successful candidates moving to the next assessment stage in January.

The force also received more than 100 enquiries following a regional campaign with five other forces.

This means successful candidates from more than 200 potential recruits will eventually embark on a two-year probationary training course.

West Mercia's recruitment officer Raj Patel was delighted with the figures - particularly as the regional campaign drew 12 per cent of enquiries from ethnic minorities.

"We are extremely encouraged by the responses received both from the regional campaign and the national campaign," she said.

"One of the objectives was to raise public awareness of the police service and raise its status in the eyes of the public and we believe that is certainly one of the results of the campaign."

West Mercia has been authorised to find a total of 152 new officers over the next three years, 59 of them in the next financial year.

Former Worcester City Council leader and Home Office Minister, Mike O'Brien, said he was delighted with the early response.

"This campaign is proving very successful in encouraging people to apply to the police," he said.

"And it is helping to raise the status of the service as a modern and progressive career choice.

"Police strength figures released earlier this month show the fall in numbers is levelling out. For the first time in years the number of officers recruited into the police force has exceeded those leaving it."

According to the latest figures published earlier this month, the total number of police nationally stood at 124,163, almost the same as for March.

Nationally, 15,000 people have expressed their desire to join the police since the three-year campaign to find 9,000 new officers began last August.