Gosport MP welcomes Hampshire police chiefs plan to hire hundreds more officers

Hampshire police will be recruiting hundreds more officers thanks to plans to drum up cash by the county's police chief.

Caroline Dinenage, Gosport MP, said she was ‘reassured’ to hear how Hampshire police was looking to recruit an extra 210 officers.

The Tory politicians comments come after she met with the county's police and crime commissioner, Michael Lane, to discuss how he hopes to drum up the cash to pay for more police.

It’s hoped that increased funding from central government, as well as a proposed council tax precept, will pay for the new officers.

Ms Dinanage said these efforts would benefit the community in ‘two ways’. With more police in each district, she said that officers could spend more time investigating local crime.

Secondly, she said the additional support would help the force investigate ‘high-threat crimes’ like domestic violence, cyber crime and violent attacks.

Speaking about the proposed investment into, Ms Dinenage said: ‘Hampshire Constabulary has worked hard to ensure that the organisation is lean to respond to crime quickly.

‘Now, however, with the growing threat of cybercrime and violent crime it is right that an increase in police are used to tackle these enhanced threats to keep us safe and in so doing prevent further lower level crime taking place in our community.

‘It reassuring to hear how Hampshire Constabulary will use additional resources to grow local police numbers and tackle crime.’