Sussex Police starts search for 120 new recruits

Sussex Police starts searching for 120 new recruits at 10am tomorrow (Monday 19 May).

The force is looking for new police officers almost four years after announcing more than a thousand job cuts, including 550 support staff.

The potential police officers should

• be 18 years old or over by Friday (23 May)
• live in Sussex when they apply
• have a full British manual driving licence
• be educated to A level or its equivalent or have independent patrol status as a police community support officer or special constable

Applications can be made 24 hours a day until 4pm on Friday (23 May), Sussex Police said.

The force added that applicants would not be at any disadvantage if they applied towards the end of the week as long as their application was received by the deadline.

A briefing pack about the process and the criteria an applicant must meet can be found here.

Two other recruitment campaigns are under way.

One, offering three candidates fast-track promotion from PC to inspector over three years, closes at 8am tomorrow (Monday 19 May).

The Sussex Police advert for the scheme promises a salary of £19,000 for a PC rising to £47,000 for an inspector.

Giles York

The second recruitment campaign is for one of the 20 direct entry superintendents being recruited nationally from senior positions in other public, private or third sector organisations.

The £63,000-a-year posts have divided opinion as, until now, every senior police officer has had to start as a constable (PC).

The deadline for applications is 8am on Tuesday 27 May.

Temporary Chief Constable Giles York said: “I’m delighted to be opening up recruitment again.

“I will be welcoming up to 120 new officers to Sussex Police who will start their training in March next year.

“Police Constables are an integral part of policing in Sussex, working closely with the community to protect them, cut crime and help manage crime and disorder at a local level.

“I am looking for people with a range of skills and experiences and from a wide range of backgrounds who share our values and have the drive to make a difference in the communities they service.

“I welcome applications from all members of the community as the force is currently underrepresented by people from BME (black and minority ethnic) communities.

“This is an opportunity for talented individuals to come and find out what we have to offer.”