'They hire toddlers now?': Student coppers brutally mocked after being posted online by their boss
2 August 2023, 16:25 | Updated: 2 August 2023, 16:27
A gaggle of student police officers has been brutally mocked online after their boss praised her new recruits.
West Yorkshire Police's Superintendent Helen Brear posted a picture of three baby-faced recruits on her Twitter account to welcome them to the Kirklees division.
But what was supposed to be a well-meaning tribute to the young wannabe cops quickly turned wrong - as Twitter users seized upon the childlike faces of the recruits.
As Alfie and Noah were introduced by the senior officer, she also posed alongside them in a hospitable manner - but other people were not so kind.
Welcome Alfie and Noah to Kirklees District . New student officers as part of our Police Uplift programme . #Policing family pic.twitter.com/3xsUJpANyu
— Superintendent Helen Brear (@WYP_HBrear) July 28, 2023
One Twitter user sarcastically asked: "They hire toddlers now?"
Another quipped: "I know they say you are old when the PCs look younger..."
Some who remarked on their appearance were more jocular in tone.
One wellwisher replied: "Blimey ma'am, they are looking younger and younger. Good luck all! Enjoy it and welcome to the policing family."
The new recruits have come as Rishi Sunak claims that the government has met its target of hiring 20,000 new officers since 2019.
The pledge dates back to a pledge made in Boris Johnson's election campaign in 2019.
A total of 20,951 new police officers have been recruited in England and Wales in the past three years.
Of the 43 territorial police forces in England and Wales, 42 have met or exceeded their target for new officers.
The one exception is the Metropolitan Police, which has missed its target by more than 1,000. The Met had a target of 4,557 new officers but had provisionally recruited only 3,468 by March 2023.
Mr Sunak had claimed the government was on the cusp of reaching the figure in April.
