Shortfall Police need half a million applicants to fill gaps

Half a million people will need to apply to join the police over the next three years in order to plug the gap in resources, the head of the National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC) has said.

With only around one in 10 applicants being successful, there is concern that the government target of 20,000 recruits may not be achievable. Martin Hewitt, chairman of the NPCC, said the ratio could be improved with a more targeted process.