Recruitment of extra 20,000 police officers to begin 'within weeks', says Boris Johnson
2 min read
The recruitment of an extra 20,000 police offcers will begin almost immediately, according to Boris Johnson.
The new Prime Minister made the pledge one of his key commitments during the Conservative leadership race.
Mr Johnson said the recruitment drive will begin in September, with the aim of having all the additional officers in place within three years.
He said: "As I said on the steps of Downing Street this week, my job as Prime Minister is to make our streets safer.
"People want to see more officers in their neighbourhoods, protecting the public and cutting crime.
"I promised 20,000 extra officers and that recruitment will now start in earnest."
A new national policing board will be established to oversee the work, with the Home Office given responsibility for hitting the target.
Home Secretary Priti Patel said: "Officers up and down the country put themselves in danger every day to keep us safe, they deserve our support.
"The rise we’ve seen in serious violence is deeply worrying. An additional 20,000 officers sends a clear message that we are committed to giving police the resources they need to tackle the scourge of crime.
"This is the start of a new relationship between the Government and the police working even more closely together to protect the public."
Meanwhile, the Government will also urgently review the pilot scheme which makes it simpler for officers to use stop and search powers on anyone suspected of carrying a weapon.
Mr Johnson is a strong supporter of the tactic and is keen to see the pilot - which is currently in operation in seven forces - being rolled out across the country.
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