Twenty new recruits embark on police officer training in Shropshire
Twenty new recruits have started their training at Wellington Police Station with many of the officers set to join policing teams in Shropshire and Telford & Wrekin once their training is complete.
More than 100 new and experienced police officers have joined policing teams across the county since May 2018 as part of West Mercia Police’s biggest recruitment drive in the force’s history.
The officers will now undergo an intense training course to equip them with the knowledge to become a police officer before joining patrol teams, bolstering the number of police visible in the county’s communities even more.
In addition, four recruits also embarked on the Police Now Detective Constable graduate scheme last week with two detectives based in each CID team in both Shrewsbury and Telford.
In July, five Police Now officers embarked on their training who will join Safer Neighbourhood Teams in Shrewsbury, Oswestry and Telford, where they will work with local communities and partner agencies, to listen to and respond to the concerns of local communities.
Police Now is a national two-year programme, for outstanding graduates.
West Mercia Police Chief Constable, Anthony Bangham has pledged to increase officer numbers across the force and has worked with the Police and Crime Commissioner John Campion to secure funding for this uplift in numbers.
New and experienced officers have regularly been joining West Mercia Police since May 2018.
And, with recruitment set to continue into next year and record numbers of officers joining the force, over the coming months towns throughout Shropshire are set to see an increase in the number of officers.
Shropshire local policing commander, Superintendent Mo Lansdale, has welcomed the additional officers to Shropshire.
She said: “West Mercia Police is currently undergoing its biggest recruitment drive in the force’s history and it’s great that we’re getting so many officers into our training school with many of them set to be based in the county once their training is complete.
“We know our local communities want to see more officers, in particular in some of our more rural areas, and our new officers will undoubtedly make a huge difference in helping us to increase our visibility with more officers than ever based in the county.
“Over the coming months towns throughout Shropshire will start to see an increase in the number of officers based there which is great news for our local communities.”
