Southport MP has welcomed the news that 611 extra officers have been recruited by Merseyside Police

Southport MP Damien Moore has welcomed the news that 611 extra police officers have been recruited by Merseyside Police as part of the Government’s manifesto commitment to recruit 20,000 more officers nationally.

The boost brings the total number of police officers in Merseyside up to 4,058, meaning that more than 15% of the region’s police have been recruited under the Conservative Government’s drive.

The UK is well on track to fulfil its commitment to recruit 20,000 additional police officers by March 2023, with 70% of the target now met. Across the country’s 43 police forces, an additional 13,790 officers have been recruited, and they are already having an impact in tacking crime and keeping communities safe.

On top of the additional police numbers, national police funding has risen to a record £15.8 billion, which comes alongside a new £150 million Safer Streets Fund being invested over the next three years into community projects to prevent crime, with a focus on neighbourhood crime, anti-social behaviour, and violence against women and girls.

Damien Moore, MP for Southport, said:

“I am very pleased that the region’s police recruitment drive has been so successful and that we now have over 600 more police officers on our streets than we did in September 2019.

“I know from my regular meetings with local policing leaders that Southport is seeing the benefits of these addition resources, with more police on the street in the town and dedicated teams covering the town centre.

“The police do difficult work under challenging circumstances, and I pay tribute to all those who begin a rewarding career making our streets safer. 

“Increasing police numbers was a commitment the Conservatives made in our manifesto, on which I stood, and the British people overwhelmingly gave our plans their backing at the general election. I’m delighted to see that we are successfully delivering on those commitments.”