GOVERNMENT plans to recruit 20,000 police officers could be disrupted by the coronavirus lockdown.

Police assessment centres have been hit by sweeping closures of premises as the UK went into lockdown this week.

Katy Bourne, chair of the Association of Police and Crime Commissioners (APCC), says some potential officers will be "kept warm in the system" until restrictions are lifted.

Speaking to the PA news agency, Mrs Bourne, who also serves as PCC for Sussex, said: "We began a big recruitment drive and along comes this virus.

"We don't want to stop that recruitment. The national call has a lot of officers who are in the pipeline who have been through the assessment centres and are still waiting to come out to forces and so on.

"The assessment centres nationally where you expect people to turn up to classrooms, obviously those can't function because we are all isolated, we have got to stay at home.

"So, it's keeping those officers warm or those potential officers warm in the system.

"It's really how do forces deal with the numbers that they have got."

For forces that have recently received batches of new recruits - Sussex Police welcomed 60 new officers last week - Mrs Bourne said forces need to "think outside the box" about how to get them out on the streets while also doing their training.

While the pandemic appears to be disrupting Prime Minister Boris Johnson's plan to hire 20,000 police officers, Mrs Bourne believes it "remains a priority area" for Government.

She added: "When we all come out of lockdown, we can hit the ground running and carry on."

Mrs Bourne also said it was critical that police officers get the equipment they need to stay safe during the pandemic.

"The personal protective equipment (PPE) has been a big issue nationally.

"The police are out and about in the country they need protection.

"I know from Sussex's point of view they have managed to secure some. I know some police forces in other areas of the country have really struggled.

"The supplies are there but it's getting it out to those forces."

She also called for Covid-19 testing kits to be rolled out to officers on the front line the same way as they are for healthcare professionals.

"We need to know if a police office has coronavirus or is asymptomatic and spreading it.

"I think they are going to prioritise health workers first, rightly so."

  • The coronavirus Sussex Crisis Fund has been set up to help those affected by the pandemic. The Argus’s charity and American Express have each donated £50,000 to kick-start the appeal.  Grants will usually be for up to £5,000. More information is available at www.sussexgiving. org.uk/apply. To donate visit www.totalgiving.co.uk/appeal/sussexcrisisfund​