MP says he welcomes extra police officers

SOUTH Leicestershire MP Alberto Costa has welcomed the announcement that 332 extra police officers have been recruited in Leicestershire since September 2019, bringing the total number of officers in the county to 2,338.

The Government launched a recruitment drive for new police officers in 2019, and almost 21,000 new officers have now been recruited in England and Wales delivering on the Conservative Government’s manifesto commitment.

Since 2010, crime excluding fraud has been cut by over 50% with theft reduced by 20%, domestic burglary by 30% and 90,000 knives have also been taken off streets through stop and search, surrender initiatives and targeted police action since 2019.

Mr Costa said: “I am delighted that 332 extra police officers have now been recruited for Leicestershire, delivering on one of the Government’s core manifesto commitments. These new recruits mean that there are now 2,338 police officers in our county and more police officers than ever before across the country, helping to pursue criminals, tackle anti-social behaviour and keep our communities safe. I am very pleased to have a close working relationship with the fantastic officers at Leicestershire Police, and I look forward to continue working to keep our communities safe across South Leicestershire and the wider county.”

The Home Secretary, The Rt. Hon Suella Braverman MP, added: “Everyone deserves to feel safe in their communities, on their streets and in their homes. Now we’ve delivered on our 2019 manifesto promise with more than 20,000 new police officers. With a record 150,000 police officers across England and Wales, people can trust in the Conservatives to keep our streets safe and deliver for local areas”.