There Are More Women and Ethnic Minority Police Officers Here Than Ever Before!

The United Kingdom is more than halfway to meeting its target of adding 20,000 additional police officers to the service by 2023, and an increasing number of women and minorities are hearing the call to serve and protect civilians in England and Wales.

“These additional 11,000 police officers are much welcomed by the service,” says Martin Hewitt, Chair of the National Police Chiefs’ Council. “It is particularly pleasing to see the increase in female and Black, Asian or other minority ethnic officers joining us, as policing becomes more reflective of the people that we serve.”

An extra 11,053 officers have joined the ranks — reaching 55% of the recruitment target — as part of the Police Uplift Programme. Female officers account for 45% — with a total of 1,451 — of the new recruits that joined between July and September 2021, an all-time high. There are presently 10,690 Black, Asian, or minority ethnic officers, making up 7.9% of the total workforce, a national record. Eight forces – Derbyshire, Lancashire, Greater Manchester, Staffordshire, Sussex, Thames Valley, Kent, and Suffolk – have, over the last year, hired more women than men.