Why workforce planning matters in policing

Anticipating future demand 

Crime in the UK is evolving. Police forces are increasingly dealing with complex and resource-intensive challenges, from cybercrime and fraud to safeguarding vulnerable individuals and managing mental health crises. Strategic workforce planning enables forces to better anticipate this changing demand. 

Rather than relying on reactive recruitment or short-term fixes, workforce planning provides a structured approach to understanding future needs and aligning workforce development accordingly. Tools such as the Six Steps Methodology to Integrated Workforce Planning®  or scenario planning workshops allow for a more agile and adaptable policing model, capable of responding to emerging threats and priorities. 

Addressing recruitment and retention pressures 

The UK policing sector has seen a significant recruitment drive in recent years, particularly through the national Police Uplift Programme. While this has bolstered officer numbers, it also brings new challenges, such as training large volumes of new recruits, balancing operational readiness, and ensuring the retention of experienced officers and staff. 

Effective workforce planning can help forces understand where attrition is most acute and develop strategies to improve retention. This might include investing in career development pathways, leadership training, or wellbeing support, ensuring a more stable and resilient workforce over time. 

Building a skilled workforce 

With the evolving nature of crime and community needs, policing roles are required to diversify and upskill in areas such as digital literacy, emotional intelligence, and advanced problem-solving skills. 

Strategic workforce planning enables skills development by identifying emerging capability gaps and developing targeted training and upskilling initiatives. This might include scenario-based learning or continuous competency frameworks, ensuring officers and staff are equipped to meet both current and future challenges. 

Enhancing efficiency and maximising resources 

With police budgets under pressure, every resource counts. Workforce planning allows leaders to make informed decisions about how and where people are deployed. It can support the redesign of roles, identify opportunities to reduce reliance on overtime or agency staff, and ensure teams are structured in the most efficient way. 

This not only delivers cost savings but also improves operational effectiveness; ensuring officers and staff are better supported and positioned to deliver high-quality public services. 

In the current UK policing context, a proactive and strategic approach to workforce management is critical. By investing in workforce planning, police forces can deliver smarter, more sustainable, and more responsive services for the communities they serve. 

How Skills for Justice can help 

At Skills for Justice, we provide evidence-based workforce development support tailored to the needs of policing and wider criminal justice. From strategic workforce planning consultancy to tools such as our Six Steps Methodology to Integrated Workforce Planning®, we help forces make data-informed decisions that drive performance and resilience. 

Whether you’re developing a long-term workforce strategy or responding to immediate operational needs, we’re here to help organisations navigate complexity and build the workforce they need for the future.