The Metropolitan Police’s recruitment drive is proving a
success, claims its deputy director of personnel.
The number of applications to join the police increased in
January to a record high of 1,386. In the first 20 days in February the Met had
received 1,600 applications.
Deputy director of personnel Peter Clarke believes that
recruitment will also improve staff morale.
He said, “We are currently working with stretched resources
and this does not help the state of the force’s morale. More police officers
will improve the feel of police stations.”
Last month the Met introduced free train travel in and
around London, at a cost of £2.5m a year, in an attempt to meet the force’s
recruitment targets of 2,500 officers a year.