Gwent Police to Recruit 100 New Officers

Despite an overall reduction of nearly 300 police officers since 2010/11 as a result of austerity, it was announced today that Gwent Police will be recruiting up to 100 frontline officers over the next three years to replace those who have retired or have left the Force already. Today's announcement marks the end of an austerity-driven freeze on the external recruitment of police constables at Gwent Police which has been in place since August 2013.

The recruitment and training process will be rolled out progressively over the next three years and it is envisaged that up to 60 new constables will be recruited in 2016 in order to maintain levels of operational policing. The application process for the first tranche of potential recruits is currently open with a closing date of 4pm on February 1st 2016. The recruitment and training of another 40 police constables will be spread out over the remainder of the two years and the new officers will be deployed on the beat throughout the region.

With the aim of attracting applicants from a broad cross-section of society and to ensure that the recruitment process reflects the diverse nature of Gwent communities, the Force is hosting special awareness raising sessions with black and minority ethnic communities throughout the region as part of the recruitment drive.

The funding of the Force and the provision of policing services form part of PCC Ian Johnston's statutory duties and it is his responsibility to ensure that Gwent has appropriate levels of policing to meet the requirements of communities whilst making the necessary savings.

According to Gwent PCC Ian Johnston, the new officers are needed in order to maintain frontline policing in Gwent as much as possible.

The Commissioner said: "After successfully managing the workforce down to an affordable level, the Force is now in a position to recruit externally for the first time in over three years. It's vital to welcome new talent to replace officers who have retired or have left the Force already.

The last few years have been extremely tough financially and the Force has seen officer numbers decline significantly to meet the demands of austerity and central government budget cuts. I welcome this new recruitment drive which will ensure that we remain operationally resilient so that we can meet the demands of modern day policing and keep the public safe."

The Chief Constable of Gwent Police, Jeff Farrar, said: "I am delighted to be offering people the opportunity to apply for the position of police constable. A career in policing is challenging but extremely rewarding. We are looking for people who want to make a positive contribution to the communities of Gwent and who are committed to making a difference. I'd encourage anyone who is interested in this exciting opportunity to visit our website to find out more."

The closing date for the first tranche of applications is 4pm on Monday February 1st 2016. For full details about the application process, please visit the Gwent Police Corporate website http://corporate.gwent.police.uk/careers/