Police have 2,000 fit ex-officers who could help out

MORE THAN 2,000 former police officers in Yorkshire could help over-burdened emergency services during the pandemic, figures have shown.

It comes as two Yorkshire forces appealed for recently-retired officers who are fit to work to return temporarily to support frontline staff.

Data shows there are 2,069 retired police officers currently in the four Yorkshire force districts who did not leave on health grounds, resign or were dismissed or transferred.

The figures exclude officers who have died and relate to individual full-time police who left through normal retirement between the financial years 2014-15 and 2018-19.

The also exclude other staff and community-support officers.

West Yorkshire Police, the region’s biggest force, had the highest number of retirees, with 841 officers who left through normal retirement.

Chief Inspector Helen Brear last week tweeted a call to retired officers as the force headed into unprecedented territory.

Writing on behalf of Assistant Chief Constable Angela Williams, Chief Insp Brear addressed retired officers to say: “Your assistance is required to help with the current national emergency.”

A spokeswoman for the force also said there were some officers who had retired from the police in this period but who had continued to work in the community.

South Yorkshire Police, which yesterday issued a call for ex-officers to return, had 575 retirees. Humberside Police had 387 and North Yorkshire 266.