Recruitment and retention

Report: 5
Date: 8 March 2001
By: Commissioner

Summary

The report provides information on police and civil staff recruitment and wastage and the number of applications and enquiries up to 31 January 2001.

A. Recommendation

That Authority members note the contents of this report.

B. Supporting information

1. The report contains information on recruitment and retention in the MPS up to the end of January 2001, which is the latest data available at the deadline for production of this report . This was previously reported in the Commissioner's verbal update to the Full Authority meeting on 8 February.

2. Statistics for February 2001 will be available for the information of members at the meeting.

Police officers

3. The MPS recruited 1129 officers between 1 April 2000 and 31 January 2001, of these 70 were visible ethnic minorities (VEMs) and 236 were female. 209 officers joined in the January intake and the target for March is a further 200 recruits.

4. Overall wastage for the same period has been 1,222 officers, of these 37 were VEMs and 162 were female. However in every month since October recruitment has consistently exceeded wastage, reducing the shortfall against the Budgeted Workforce Target (BWT).

5. It is projected that at the end of March 2001 the MPS will be approximately 100 officers below the BWT.

6. Applications and enquiries have increased significantly. In January the level of enquiries and applications was at the highest yet. A total of 9,345 applications were sent out and 1,386 applications were received, indicating that the London Pay Lead and the national and MPS advertising campaigns are producing results.

7. The MPS remains a net exporter of police officers. During the period 302 officers transferred to other Forces whilst only 88 joined the MPS from other Forces.

Civil staff

8. Between April 2000 and 31 January 2001 a total of 1,280 members of civil staff left the MPS, whilst only 859 members of staff were recruited. The shortfall against the BWT currently stands at 870.

9. Traffic warden wastage was 127 for the same period, with only 23 traffic wardens recruited. The Traffic Warden Service strength is 250 below the BWT

10. A number of major civil staff recruitment initiatives are underway, including specific campaigns for analysts, communications officers and traffic wardens, and the processes for corporate recruitment are being reviewed to remove or minimise pinch points.

11. There are still approximately 160 fully fit police officers filling vacant civil staff posts.

C. Financial implications

None

D. Background papers

None.

E. Contact details

The author of this report is Janice Tunnicliffe, Personnel Department, MPS.

For information contact:

MPA general: 020 7202 0202
Media enquiries: 020 7202 0217/18

Send an e-mail linking to this page

Feedback