Andrew Snowden secures £1.2m boost for frontline policing

Forces in England and Wales were given the opportunity to bid for additional funding as part of Home Office’s Additional Recruitment scheme.

This investment of £1.2m will see an extra 25 officers recruited and out on the beat in Lancashire, building on the additional 612 officers brought into the Constabulary since 2021 taking the force to a target headcount of 3,586.

These officers will form part of the next recruitment window and see the number of additional officers delivered since the police uplift was first announced to 682. 

Andrew said: "This is fantastic news for Lancashire and bad news for criminals, as we continue the investment I have made in frontline policing, taking the fight to criminals.

"It builds on my recent budget for 2024/25 and allows me to continue backing the proactive, community focused crime fighting approach we all want to see – with more local police stations open, more visible policing presence and stronger specialist teams such as our roads policing teams and anti-social behaviour (ASB) unit. 

"This additional investment also recognises the efficient and speedy use of resources to make best use of the Uplift Programme and get more bobbies on the beat. It also sees 60 more neighbourhood officers dedicated to local areas in the budget, all part of this community focused approach to solving local issues and protecting people. 

"I'll continue to back the chief constable with the resources and support to crack down on crime and ASB, keeping Lancashire safe."

Chief constable Sacha Hatchett, said: “This is welcome investment in policing and ensures an increase in officers on the frontline.

“The public are very clear they want to see more police officers on their streets and this funding will help provide further support to our communities.

“We look forward to these officers joining the force and once fully trained, helping to make a difference in the county.”