New officers take oaths as Essex Police reaches record strength
Seventy-four new officers took their oaths to the King and started their Essex Police careers as the force now has more officers protecting and serving the county than ever before.
PFCC Roger Hirst congratulates one of the new recruits.
In a parade led by Chief Constable Ben-Julian Harrington and attended by the Essex Police Fire and Crime Commissioner Roger Hirst and His Majesty’s Lord Lieutenant Mrs Jennifer Tolhurst, the officers formally commenced their new duties.
There are now more Essex police officers than at any previous time in the force’s 182-year history.
There will be even more – a total of 3,755 officers – dedicated to helping people, keeping people safe, and catching criminals by March 2023, thanks to public support and funding from both the Police Uplift Programme for 20,000 extra officers in England & Wales and also from the Essex Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner Roger Hirst.
There has been investment in new policing units such as the popular Town Centre Teams which provide a visible reassurance to rural and urban communities and a deterrent to criminals.
There has also been investment in new specialist teams such as the Quest team, which investigates non-recent child sexual abuse, and the Domestic Abuse Problem Solving Teams, which break the cycle of abuse, supporting victims and bringing criminals to justice.
The new officers pledged their commitment to police with the consent of every community at a time when the force is welcoming more new colleagues from a range of different backgrounds.
Essex Police, Fire, and Crime Commissioner, Roger Hirst, said:
“I want to say a huge thank you to everyone who is taking their oath today and joining the Essex Police family. You will be making a significant difference in our communities and making Essex an even safer place for everyone.
“I’m proud to say that Essex Police is now the largest it has ever been. Working alongside national government we have significantly increased the investment in policing over the last five years.
“By March 2023 we will have 900 extra officers. The people of Essex have shown incredibly strong support for the Force and have consistently chosen to invest more in policing. This is an important and historic day.”
There are more details about the parade and the new recruits on the Essex Police website.
Watch – Roger Hirst interview at the parade:
