Giles Watling, Member of Parliament for Clacton, is delighted to learn how Essex Police plan to allocate their budget for the forthcoming financial year.
Giles has been advised that Essex Police will be recruiting a further 215 police officers over the next year to focus on visible, frontline policing. This is in addition to the 150 officers recruited in 2018/19.
The total budget for Essex Police is £300.5 million. £175.8 million will be from central Government and £124.6 million will be drawn from local taxation.
The money will be invested in 215 additional police officers on top of the 150 recruited this year as well as 32 operational police staff and 18 police support staff. They will be divided into a number of teams including:
- 68 officers dedicated to town centre policing
- 50 officers to local policing teams
- 21 roads policing officers
- 20 officers dedicated to working with children and young people
- 20 officers to boost the force’s crime and public protection command
- 20 officers dedicated to dealing with gangs and violence and vulnerability
- Seven officers to join the Gypsy, Traveller and Rural Engagement Team
- Six for the Serious Crime Directorate
- Three for a new dedicated business crime team
Giles said
“One of the first campaigns I led, together with the support of fellow Essex MP’s, was to increase the amount of funding Essex Police receives to tackle crime on our streets. The additional funding that was raised through our council tax has meant that an additional 150 police officers have been recruited across Essex.
"Across the county there will be an additional 68 officers dedicated to town centre policing, 50 officers to local policing team as well as 7 officers to join the Rural Engagement Team. In addition, 90 other officers will be working across the force.
"Once these officers are recruited and trained. I am looking forward to seeing them working hard keeping our communities safe. I know this will be welcome news to local residents."