The Isle of Wight is set to benefit from nine new police officers as part of the Government's Uplift Programme.
Hampshire Constabulary has confirmed that 156 new recruits will join the force. The UK Government pledged to recruit an additional 20,000 police officers in England and Wales by 31 March 2023.
It has been confirmed that nine of those will be on the Island, while nearby Southampton will benefit from 20 and Portsmouth 18.
Police say the allocation is based on thorough analysis of crime figures and the demand in each district.
Assistant Chief Constable Maggie Blyth said:
“We are constantly striving to serve and support all in our communities the best we can each day.
“Part of this is ensuring that, as a force, we truly reflect those we are serving.
“It is very pleasing to see that within the 3,000 applications received there 13 per cent who are from diverse backgrounds.
“I am also very happy that we have been able to push forward with our recruitment programme throughout the pandemic, and that we are now able to announce how we will be deploying the 156 officers who will be hired through the government uplift.
“It has been great to see many high quality candidates applying to join the force.
“Our aim is to become an employer of choice, focused on attraction, retention and progression, bringing the best and talented individuals into the Constabulary, ensuring they can all reach their true potential.”
As a force Hampshire Constabulary says it operates a ‘borderless’ policy, which ensures officers can be deployed away from their assigned location if it is deemed operationally necessary.
Each of the areas is also supported by a number of other teams within the force, including our response officers, investigations teams and our various specialist departments.