The number of officers serving with Staffordshire Police went up by just 39 in 2022, according to Home Office figures.
Data released today as part of a quarterly Police Uplift Programme update showed the headcount for the Force in December was 1,879 compared with 1,840 last January.
Staffordshire Police Federation chair Lee Robinson welcomed the rise in officer numbers but warned retention of new recruits was just as important as recruitment.
He said: “Any rise in officer numbers is to be welcomed but there are a couple of things to bear in mind when we are talking about uplift.
“It is important to remember that the officers recruited through uplift are effectively replacing the ones we lost over 12 years of cutbacks and I still don’t think we will be up to 2010 levels even when the targets are reached.
“When the uplift recruitment drive comes to an end in a couple of months I expect that the number of new officers joining us will slow to a trickle so we should be preparing for that now.
“And, perhaps most importantly, officer numbers have got to be maintained so it is essential that the Force does everything it can to make sure attrition rates for new recruits are kept low.
“That means making sure young officers feel valued, well-supported, well-trained and are given the right uniform, equipment and resources.
“It is about making Staffordshire Police an attractive place to work.”
The Police Uplift Programme was a 2019 Government manifesto pledge.
Nationwide figures revealed that 16,753 new officers had now been recruited from funding for the scheme - 84 per cent of the target of 20,000 recruits by March.
There are now 145,658 officers in the 43 territorial police forces in England and Wales.
A Home Office spokesman said: “The Government has pledged to invest more £3.5 billion in policing between 2020 and 2023 in order to recruit 20,000 additional officers.
“Additional officers will support forces in tackling crime and making communities safer.
“The Police Uplift Programme is one of a range of initiatives the Government has implemented to support policing.”
