CUMBRIA Police could face an upcoming recruitment battle for new officers, the county’s crime commissioner has warned.

PCC Peter McCall said other forces paid more while significant changes are on the way to attract more graduates into the force.

Cumbria Police offers starting salaries of £19,971 while Lancashire pays £23,124.

Traditionally, new officers have studied what is called the Initial Police Learning and Development Programme, or IPLDP.

But that is going to be “closed off” and replaced with the Policing Education Qualifications Framework (PEQF), equivalent to a degree.

Mr McCall said Cumbria Police may find it harder to recruit and would have to pay higher salaries.

Mr McCall said: “The profile of police officer recruitment is definitely changing and we also operate in an environment where different forces can offer different salary rates, which has an impact on recruitment as well.

“If someone can join Lancashire Police for £2,000 or £3,000 more, guess what? People will join Lancashire.”

Mr McCall said that police chief in the north-west planned to set a standard salary, but it would be higher than the current salary in Cumbria.

Mr McCall added: “The wider issue is whether we are going to be able to recruit at all because the market isn’t full of graduates and the apprenticeship is not always attractive to more mature applicants who actually could make a good cop. This whole process of graduate entry and apprenticeship entry will cost us more money and it’s something we are looking at, and how we deal with it.”

Roger Marshall, the joint chief finance officer for the police and the crime commissioner, pointed out that some new applicants may join vita the apprenticeship route. Mr Marshall said there would be an increase in costs for police officers.

He said: “The traditional route through the IPLDP will be closed off as a method of recruitment. It is a national requirement and we don’t have any choice in the matter.”

The Royal College of Policing said people could join as an apprentice and work towards the degree, join with a degree and train towards a diploma, or take the policing degree and then apply to join a force.

“Policing did not have consistent, national education levels for all policing roles or ranks which reflected its current and future challenges, nor an entry level qualification that would be considered commensurate with that of a profession,” it said.

“PEQF aims to bring consistent practice in terms of the implementation, assessment and accreditation of initial police training across the 43 forces in England and Wales. This consistency can contribute to the professionalism of the police service and put policing in line with other professions with regard to its formal education standards.”