North Yorkshire Police have said that over 450 new police officers have joined North Yorkshire Police since July 2019
That figure puts the force on track to exceed the uplift programme recruitment target set by the Home Office by more than 55 officers.
However, when asked, North Yorkshire Police were unable to identify how many officers had left in that period – meaning it is not clear if there is a net increase in officers.
In July 2019, the government announced plans to recruit an additional 20,000 police officers in England and Wales by the end of March 2023. Each police force was given a target based on current workforce and local population.
North Yorkshire Police has implemented a number of recruitment campaigns and entry routes to the force, recruiting 457 student officers and 209 transferees from other forces.
In September 2019, the force launched the Police Constable Degree Apprenticeship (PCDA) programme in partnership with the Open University which leads to a nationally recognised BSc (Hons) in Professional Policing Practice. New recruits join North Yorkshire Police and spend 80 per cent of their time serving while learning on the job and 20 per cent of their work time studying towards their qualification.
12 cohorts of officers have now been through the programme since its launch and recruitment will open again later in 2023.
The force has also seen success with its Degree Holders Entry Programme (DHEP), a two-year accelerated route for those entering with a degree in any subject. DHEP allows recruits to train as a police constable and gain a Graduate Diploma in policing through the Open University.
In late 2022, North Yorkshire Police launched the DHEP Accelerated Detective Pathway (DHEP ADP) which is a fast-track process for those with transferable skills, knowledge and experience to become a detective. The DHEP ADP is designed for applicants who already have an existing degree. Recruits train while working to achieve a Graduate Diploma in Policing before undertaking the National Investigators Exam and Detective Training Course in order to achieve accredited Detective status.
