James Duddridge MP has welcomed today's news that there will be an extra 135 Essex Police officers recruited next year as part of the first wave of the 20,000 recently promised by the Government nationally.
The funding for 135 additional officers comes on top of the 368 extra officers currently being recruited by the force as a result of the increase in the police precept.
It means by April 1st next year there will be more than 3,200 police officers in the county's force, with that number set to reach at least 3,353 by March 2021.
Welcoming the news, James, who has consistently campaigned for more police on our streets, said:
"This is fab news for the people of Southend and Rochford, who I know feel very strongly about ensuring our police have the resources they need to keep us safe.
"Essex Police is already ahead of its recruitment target of 3,218 by April 2020 and this announcement today shows this Government's continued commitment to investing in our force."
