More about this area
The force says...
As of January 2023 Hampshire and Isle of Wight Constabulary (HIOWC) has a workforce of 3200 officers and 2355 staff serving a population of approximately 2 million people.
The force has the second lowest level of police officers / 1000 population in England and Wales as well as the second lowest level of government funding (NRE) (VfM22). It is one of 8 forces in a Most Similar Group used for performance comparisons.
The force has a strong commitment to victims with the 4th highest Outcomes v Crimes of all forces (VfM22).
HIOWC has prioritised Uplift recruitment so the public can see more officers on the streets with 1200 new officers recruited since April 2020. The force is on track to exceed the current Home Office Uplift targets and through this is increasing the diversity and representation in its workforce of all the communities it serves.
HIOWC has strong ethical culture and standards with additional governance from independent scrutiny. These high standards run across all areas of the force and are invigorated through strong senior leadership alongside a range of focused activities and training events.
HIOWC has a strong record of wellbeing provision for its workforce and was the national lead for the introduction of the 7 point plan for officer assaults.
The force is recognised for developing innovative practice such Community Courts, using targeted work in schools to tackle knife crime, Rapid Video Response for victims of domestic abuse, using ‘High Harm’ teams to focus on priority offenders as well as having a strong Child Centred approach to policing.
HIOWC has strong partnership with Hampshire Fire and Rescue Service with which it shares a strategic headquarters. There are well-developed collaborations with Thames Valley Police, an award-winning forensics partnership with Portsmouth University as well as shared services with Hampshire County Council.
Disclaimer: the above statement has been prepared by Hampshire Constabulary. The views and information in it are not necessarily those of HMICFRS.