Greater Manchester Police (GMP) has exceeded its police officer recruitment target and strengthened numbers across the force – and continues to recruit.

The target set by the Government required GMP to recruit an additional 1,155 police officers by March 2023, as part of the Police Uplift Programme.

Last month, GMP surpassed this target as a force and celebrated having more than 8,000 serving police officers for the first time in 10 years.

Chief Superintendent Niall Hayden-Pawson said: “I am delighted that GMP has exceeded its recruitment target and I welcome the new officers who have joined through the Police Uplift Programme.

“I’m also delighted to report that the recruitment has enabled GMP to have the highest number of female officers and officers from ethnic minority backgrounds in its history.

“There is still more work to be done in this area, but I’m encouraged that the force is making strides towards becoming more diverse and reflective of the communities it serves.

“The Uplift has further bolstered existing capabilities and led to the creation of new roles.

“As a result of this, the public can expect to see more police officers on the streets of Greater Manchester, and they will be more visible and accessible to you than ever before.

“A lot of hard work has gone into making this recruitment drive possible and I also want to thank the support of officers and staff who have helped recruit, train, and equip officers – enabling them to best serve our communities.”

Colin Ramwell, GMP’s Head of Strategic Attraction and Recruitment, said: “This has been an outstanding effort from all the teams involved in the attraction, recruitment, onboarding, and training stages, alongside the national leading work undertaken by the retention team. It’s been a massive achievement.”

Greater Manchester Police is currently recruiting, find out more here: www.gmp.police.uk/careers