Cambridgeshire Police force grows to its biggest ever size

A recent intake of officers to Cambridgeshire Constabulary has seen the force grow to its largest-ever size.

A new intake on the constabulary’s degree-holders pathway pushed the headcount to 1756 officers, above the 1732 target.

In reaching these numbers, the force has become one of the first in the country to announce it had met its target under the national 20,000 officer recruitment drive.

The pre-uplift baseline was 1526 officers, with 206 extra officers allocated as part of the recruitment drive.

These figures are on top of the “normal” anticipated recruitment levels, which ordinarily cater for retirements and those leaving for other reasons.

In addition, the force has increased the number of women and people from Black, Asian and ethnic minority backgrounds serving as police officers.

Of the total of 500 officers recruited in the past three years, 218 (43.6 percent) were women and the proportion of the force’s officers who are female now stands at more than 35 percent, up by five percent in the past five years.

Of the 500, 28 (5.5 percent) were from ethnic minority backgrounds, meaning the proportion at a force level stands at 4.8 percent, up by 1.5 percent in the past five years.

Chief Constable Nick Dean said the new recruits had already had positive effects on policing across the county.

He said: “It is great news for the force and the people of Cambridgeshire that we have hit our uplift target.

“These extra officers are already contributing towards an enhanced policing service for the public and I have been delighted to hear about the positive effect they’ve been having.

“It is also great to hear we’ve become a more diverse force, but we still have work to do to ensure we truly reflect the communities we service.

“Our focus now moves to maintaining the record number of officers we have and promoting the various routes open to those wanting to become a police officer. It is also a great opportunity to increase our diversity further and attract more talent into the force.

“There are still some misconceptions out there that you require a degree to apply to become a police officer. That is not the case but our degree apprenticeship – one of our most popular routes – does mean you will achieve a degree by the end of your training, with no student fees to repay.

“Policing remains a great career, with much to offer, and the genuine opportunity to make a positive difference to people’s lives.”Police and Crime Commissioner, Darryl Preston added: “I promised local residents that I would increase police officer numbers to record levels and we have done just that.

“I would like to thank the Chief Constable and his team who have worked incredibly hard over the last three years to meet the uplift recruitment target."It is testament to the constabulary that so many officers want to work in Cambridgeshire and Peterborough and this is further evidenced by high levels of officer retention.

“I welcome the increase in diversity and will continue to support the Chief and his team to ensure our police service is representative of the communities it serves.

“These officers will make a real difference to the safety of communities across our county.”