FOI 30193

FREEDOM OF INFORMATION REQUEST REFERENCE NO: HRC0030192/26

 

I write in connection with your request for information which was received on 14^th September 2026.  Please find below the response to your request:

 

I am requesting aggregated information about police officer recruitment. I do not require names, individual records, free-text responses, or information that could identify an applicant or officer.

Please provide only information already recorded electronically; I am not asking you to review individual files or create new information.

 

1. Recruitment stages

 

For each of 2023/24, 2024/25 and 2025/26, please provide the number of applicants recorded at each stage of your police officer recruitment process. For each stage, please include the numbers who passed, failed or withdrew, where these outcomes are recorded. Please use your own stage names.

 

2. Demographic breakdowns

 

For the same three years, please provide the number at each recruitment stage, separately by:

- ethnicity;

- age group; and

- sex.

 

Please use the categories already held by your force. I am not requesting combinations of characteristics or individual-level data.

Existing small-number suppression may be applied.

 

3. Early voluntary departure

 

For officers who started employment in 2021/22, 2022/23 and 2023/24, please provide the number who voluntarily left within:

- six months;

- 12 months; and

- 24 months.

 

Please state whether the figures are cumulative. If already recorded, please also provide the reason categories and the number in each category.

 

4. Existing materials

 

Please provide copies or links to any realistic job-preview material or existing reports evaluating police officer recruitment, applicant withdrawal or early voluntary departure that are not already published on your website.

 

 

 

Reply

 

Q1 Recruitment stages this should be self-explanatory,  however let me know if you have any questions. In respect of the Pass stages at each year – any passes will progress to the next stage and if successful through all stages will be counted under started.  The recruitment process can take between 9 – 18 months to complete, some candidates applying in 2023/4 may not start (or fail any stage ) until the following year.

 

Please see the tables below:

 

1. Recruitment Stages
Year	No of Applications received	Shortlisting		National Sift		Online Assessment Centre		Interview		Pre - employment checks		Withdrawn	Started
		Pass	Fail	Pass	Fail	Pass	Fail	Pass	Fail	Pass	Fail
1.4.2023/31.3.2024	1966	1	490	7	27	1	94	0	14	0	45	1106	181
1.4.2024/31.3.2025	1195	9	338	54	82	0	73	0	16	0	26	479	118
1.4.2025/31.3.2026	438	6	191	3	19	1	17	0	13	0	3	173	12
2. Demographic
1.4.2023/31.3.2024		Ethnic Origin						Age Group					Sex
	Recruitment stage	Asian	Black	Mixed	White -other	White  - British	Prefer not to say / Blank / Other	Under 26	26 - 40	41 - 55	Over 55	Blank	Male	Female	Blank / Prefer not to say
	Shortlisting	41	8	15	42	378	10	327	140	18	1	5	281	199	11
	National Sift	3	0	0	0	30	1	19	13	1	1	0	16	16	2
	Online Assessment Centre	3	0	2	6	84	0	66	22	7	0	0	39	49	7
	Interview	1	0	1	0	12	0	9	5	0	0	0	6	8	0
	Pre-employment checks	6	0	1	2	36	0	25	18	2	0	0	22	23	0
	Withdrawn	55	13	22	51	652	318	534	222	41	1	308	370	331	405
	Started	3	2	0	8	166	2	134	37	10	0	0	93	82	6
	Total number of applications	112	23	41	101	1358	331	1114	457	79	3	313	827	708	431
1.4.2024/31.3.2025		Ethnic Origin						Age Group					Sex
	Recruitment stage	Asian	Black	Mixed	White -other	White  - British	Prefer not to say / Blank / Other	Under 26	26 - 40	41 - 55	Over 55	Blank	Male	Female	Blank / Prefer not to say
	Shortlisting	10	5	8	21	300	3	234	96	17	0	0	204	143	0
	National Sift	3	1	7	6	118	1	88	41	7	0	0	72	64	0
	Online Assessment Centre	5	1	2	3	62	0	52	18	3	0	0	40	33	0
	Interview	1	0	0	0	15	0	14	2	0	0	0	11	5	0
	Pre-employment checks	2	0	0	1	23	0	17	9	0	0	0	19	7	0
	Withdrawn	20	4	13	27	403	12	323	129	18	0	9	260	210	9
	Started	2	1	1	2	111	1	94	18	6	0	0	67	51	0
	Total number of applications	43	12	31	60	1032	17	822	313	51	0	9	673	513	9
1.4.2025/31.3.2026		Ethnic Origin						Age Group					Sex
	Recruitment stage	Asian	Black	Mixed	White -other	White  - British	Prefer not to say / Blank / Other	Under 26	26 - 40	41 - 55	Over 55	Blank	Male	Female	Blank / Prefer not to say
	Shortlisting	8	5	8	10	164	2	122	59	15	1	0	121	75	0
	National Sift	1	0	0	0	20	1	17	4	0	1	0	13	9	0
	Online Assessment Centre	1	0	0	1	16	0	14	4	0	0	0	11	7	0
	Interview	1	0	1	1	10	0	13	0	0	0	0	9	4	0
	Pre-employment checks	0	0	0	0	3	0	3	0	0	0	0	2	1	0
	Withdrawn	3	0	5	8	155	2	127	40	6	0	0	89	84	0
	Started	0	0	0	1	11	0	10	1	1	0	0	2	10	0
	Total number of applications	14	5	14	21	379	5	306	108	22	2	0	247	191	0

 

 

Q2 Demographic breakdown for each year and recruitment stage – the data for 2023/4 , 2024/5 will be rejected at that stage.  2025/6 recruitment stage will be mix of rejected and passed (onging in the process).

3. Early voluntary departure
   
   For officers who started employment in 2021/22, 2022/23 and 2023/24, please provide the number who voluntarily left within:
   - six months;
   - 12 months; and
   - 24 months.
   
   Please state whether the figures are cumulative. If already recorded, please also provide the reason categories and the number in each category. 

Employee Type	Start Date2	Left	Leaving Reason	Total
PO	2021/22	Within 6 months	Voluntary Probationer	8
		Within 12 months	Dismissed	1
			Transfer to other UK force	1
			Voluntary Probationer	21
		Within 24 months	Resignation	2
			Resigned During Misconduct	1
			Transfer to other UK force	4
			Voluntary Probationer	24
		Over 24 months	Resignation	4
			Transfer to other UK force	7
			Voluntary Probationer	4
	2022/23	Within 6 months	Voluntary Probationer	12
		Within 12 months	Transfer to other UK force	2
			Voluntary Probationer	27
		Within 24 months	Dismissed	1
			Resignation	2
			Retirement	1
			Transfer to other UK force	1
			Voluntary Probationer	7
	2023/24	Within 6 months	Voluntary Probationer	4
		Within 12 months	Voluntary Probationer	2
Grand Total				136

These figures are actual and not cumulative.

Q4 No specific information held. For national details please see the College of Policing website