The Constabulary is closing a significant staffing shortfall but faces a looming wave of retirements that threatens to strip the force of vital experience, Chief Constable Russ Foster has told politicians.
Mr Foster said that when he assumed his role in April 2023, the force was 24 officers below its funded strength of 231.
“Since that time, we have recruited 44,” he said, bringing the current deficit down to nine officers.
A new recruitment drive aims to reach full strength by September, ending a three-year shortage.
Mr Foster credited policy changes, including a “rejoiner policy” allowing retired officers to return, for helping to “reduce that trajectory”.
Retirement
However, he warned of a pending “mass exodus” around 2028-29, with around 34 experienced officers eligible to retire.
This compounds an existing experience gap, with 60% of frontline officers still within their two years probation.
Committee member Lawrie Hooper expressed concern over losing “30 years of experience that sits behind each one of those numbers.”
To address this, the Chief Constable emphasised developing internal talent through training and promotion, saying, “We’ve got the talent. It’s just untapped at the moment.”
He is also in discussions about “over recruiting to go beyond a funded strength” to create a stable “glide path” for the organisation.
“The problem is not going to go away,” Mr Foster concluded. “We need to continue to recruit at pace.”