Yorkshire Post

New chief constable announces his plans to accelerate recruitmen­t of hundreds of PCs

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HUNDREDS OF police officers are to be taken on at Humberside Police over the next 18 months, the force’s new chief constable has announced.

Chief Constable Lee Freeman, whose appointmen­t was confirmed yesterday, said he was going to accelerate a recruitmen­t plan which he had inherited from his predecesso­r Justine Curran.

During the next 18 months, the force – which has shrunk by about 650 officers in the past decade – will sign up just under 300 new recruits.

Mr Freeman said the force had experience­d a 20 per cent increase in 999 calls in recent months, and added: “Our police officers and PCSOs are working really hard but they absolutely do need more resources to assist them.”

He is looking at putting police officers back in front-line roles, where posts can be filled by police staff. He also pledged: “PCSOs are a fundamenta­l part of the plan. If you currently have PCSOs, they are going to stay.”

Ms Curran announced her immediate retirement after being asked to consider her position by Police and Crime Commission­er Keith Hunter ahead of a damning HMIC report, which rated the force “inadequate” for protecting vulnerable people. Overall the force’s effectiven­ess was judged as requiring improvemen­t for the second year running. Its efficiency also is rated as “requires improvemen­t” – up from “inadequate” in 2015.

Grimsby-born Mr Freeman, 48, said his ambition was for the force to be “outstandin­g”. He admitted the force had been through significan­t change, which had affected how supported and valued staff felt, and said: “One of my non-negotiable­s is any change in future is rooted in bottom up, involving staff in changes.”

Mr Freeman’s salary is £144,768. As a local he will not be getting a relocation package, but he will receive allowances, including one for housing of £3,861-ayear. His appointmen­t has been welcomed by the Humberside Police Staff Unison branch which said it already enjoyed “an excellent working relationsh­ip with him”. Unison officials said government cuts had left the workforce “understaff­ed, overworked and overstretc­hed”, adding: “This cannot and must not continue going forward”.

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