Dorset Police has welcomed 90 new female police officers and 19 new officers from minority backgrounds as part of a diversity drive in a national initiative to recruit new officers.

By Friday, March 31, 2023, the force had recruited 174 new police officers as part of the national Uplift programme, which was eight officers above the allocation set by the Government.

It is the biggest recruitment drive in the force’s history and is above to the normal annual officer recruitment required to replace officers who resign, retire or leave the Force.

During this recruitment drive the Dorset Police focused on increasing diversity thanks to its Positive Action programme and other initiatives.

Since 2019, 90 new female officers have been recruited, taking the number from 382 to 472.

Recruitment has also seen 11 new officers, who identify as white non-British, hired, increasing the number from 16 to 27.

Finally, 19 officers identifying as black, asian or ethnically diverse have been recruited, increasing the number from 20 to 39.

In total, 552 officers have been recruited between 2019 and 2023.

Chief Constable Amanda Pearson praised the recruitment of new officers, but said there was still a "long way to go" in increasing the diversity of officers.

She said: "Whilst we have increased the diversity of our workforce over recent years, we know that there is still a way to go, and we are committed to further encouraging people from underrepresented groups to join our policing family so we can better reflect the communities we serve.”  

The new officers come from a wide range of backgrounds including; prison officers, mortgage consultants, photographers and landscape gardeners.

Dorset Police and Crime Commissioner David Sidwick said: "This is the largest intake of trainee officers in Dorset since the creation of Police and Crime Commissioners back in 2012.

"It represents an increase of 13.7 per cent from the lowest point in 2019 going from 1,267 officers to 1,441 officers.

"These new recruits will mean there are more officers serving the people and communities of Dorset and adding extra strength and depth to the service. I would like to wish each new recruit well in their chosen career as they go out in our communities to fight crime, put victims first and keep people safe.

"Each new recruit is integral to the Police and Crime Plan and in particular the priority of our police being more visible, connected and engaged with the community and in striving toward the ambition of making Dorset the safest county. 

“I am particularly pleased that Dorset has not only achieved but exceeded the recruitment target it had been set and I would like to thank all the staff involved in working so hard to get so many new recruits enrolled."

The Chief Constable added: “Uplift has provided us with the opportunity to recruit additional resources to deliver our vision of making Dorset safe for everyone. 

“The recruitment teams have worked tirelessly over the last three years to ensure we have recruited the right people with the right attributes to become police officers in Dorset.

"I have been fortunate enough to have met a number of our new recruits since I arrived in Force and they all share the same level of passion, energy and commitment to be tough on crime, keep people safe and put victims and witnesses first."

Dorset Police said it is committed to sustaining police officer numbers over the coming years and plans are already in place to recruit a further 155 officers by the end of March 2024.