HUNDREDS of police officer applicants jammed the phone lines at Cheshire Constabulary on Monday as they looked to take advantage of the recruitment window.
The police force is believed to be the only one in the UK to be presently taking on student police officers and briefly opened the window of opportunity earlier this week for anybody interested in joining.
Demand for one of the 500 application forms, available for just 24 hours, was expected to be high as Cheshire Constabulary had doubled the number of call takers in advance of the window opening at 8.30am.
However, the volume of calls was such that the phone systems at the police force frequently jammed during the morning. Despite this, the last of the 500 forms was sent out at about 12.45pm, nearly four hours earlier than the planned deadline.
The number of actual student police officer vacancies within the force is expected to be about 24.
Deputy Chief Constable Helen King said: “It is pleasing to see so many people want to join Cheshire Police and play a part in making their community a safe place.
“We would like to thank all those who showed an interest for their patience as our lines were busy due to the significant number of calls received.
“Those who unfortunately did not get an application form this time round can still contribute to their community by getting involved in voluntary work with Cheshire Police.”
To find out more, visit cheshire.police.uk and follow the link to ‘getting involved’.
