Kit Malthouse inspected Sussex Police’s 72 newest PC recruits as well as 18 apprentice PCSOs
On the day of the launch of the national campaign to recruit 20,000
extra police officers, Minister of State for Crime, Policing and the
Fire Service, Kit Malthouse, visited Police Headquarters, Lewes, to
learn more about officer recruitment in Sussex.
Mr Malthouse was welcomed by Chief Constable Giles York and PCC Katy
Bourne, and spent time inspecting and meeting new recruits – including
72 trainee PCs and 18 apprentice PCSOs – and saw first-hand how Sussex
Police has accelerated police officer recruitment to its highest levels
in a decade.
Policing Minister Kit Malthouse said: “We have wasted no time in
launching the national campaign to recruit 20,000 police officers today,
a priority of this government.
“We want to see people from all backgrounds in Sussex sign up to join the police force’s ranks.
“They must have one thing in common – a desire to protect communities, tackle crime and be a force for all.”
Sussex Police Chief Constable Giles York said: “We were honoured to have
Mr Malthouse join us at Police Headquarters on the day we launch our
latest police officer recruitment drive, providing the opportunity to
discuss the national campaign, Be A Force For All, which will see 20,000
officers recruited nationally over the coming years.
“We are proud to support this campaign. It is a further increase for
Sussex, with us already recruiting and training, and will make a
difference to communities across the county.
“I’m delighted that we can open police officer recruitment for a second
time this year. We were heartened by the response to our previous
recruitment drive and we encourage more people who want a career which
is personally rewarding, challenging and diverse, to consider a career
in policing.”
The national campaign material – Be a Force For All – features a number
of Sussex officers, including videos of some of our most recent recruits
working on response in West Sussex.
Earlier this year, Sussex Police ran a successful recruitment campaign for police officers*.
With the national recruitment drive providing an unprecedented uplift,
Sussex Police is again looking for those who can tackle crime, keep our
communities safe and protect the most vulnerable.
Sussex Police and Crime Commissioner Katy Bourne said: “The opening of
today’s police officer recruitment campaign is great news for Sussex
residents; it’s great news for Sussex Police and it is a great
opportunity for anybody wanting a fulfilling and varied career.
“Local communities will be delighted at the prospect of hundreds more
officers joining those already in training since we started to boost
recruitment by 250 last year.
“I told our Policing Minister that he needed to see how Sussex Police
was already successfully encouraging thousands of people to apply and
I’m delighted he joined us today to inspect an impressive line-up of
successful candidates.”
Successful recruits will join Sussex Police as an officer through one of two new entry routes created by the College of Policing, with the demands of modern day policing in mind. The Police Constable Degree Apprenticeship offers a three-year apprenticeship programme with both on and off-the-job learning, leading to degree in Professional Policing Practice.