Source · Select Committees · Public Accounts Committee
Recommendation 27
27
Acknowledged
We asked the Department whether it was concerned about retaining new officers.
Conclusion
We asked the Department whether it was concerned about retaining new officers. The Department acknowledged that if increasing numbers of officers left the service, this would in turn increase the number of new officers the Programme would need to recruit. The Department told us that it was losing around 9% of new officers, which was in line with its planning assumption that around 1 in 10 new officers would leave in the first two years of their service. This compared to an overall police officer voluntary resignation rate of 2% per year.40 36 Home Office, Police officer uplift, England and Wales, quarterly update to 31 March 2022 37 Qq 19, 34 38 Q 33; Home Affairs Committee Oral evidence: Work of the Metropolitan Police Service, HC 1240, 20 April 2022, Q 2, 16, 23 39 Qq 35, 37; Home Affairs Committee Oral evidence: Work of the Metropolitan Police Service, HC 1240, 20 April 2022 Q24 40 Qq 39–40 The Police Uplift Programme 15 Capacity and capability of policing
Government Response Summary
The government recognizes retaining new officers is essential and is working with forces to understand reasons for leaving and develop strategies to improve retention rates, including improving support, reviewing training, and ensuring challenging and rewarding roles.
Government Response
Acknowledged
HM Government
Acknowledged
The government recognises that retaining new officers is essential to the success of the Police Uplift Programme. The Department is working with forces to understand the reasons why officers leave the police service and to develop strategies to improve retention rates. This includes: • Working with forces to improve the support available to new officers, including mentoring and coaching; • Reviewing the training and development opportunities available to new officers; and • Working with forces to ensure that officers are deployed in roles that are challenging and rewarding.