Lincolnshire to get 148 more police officers and a new fraud squad
By Hugo Pembroke · 22 May 2026
More bobbies on the beat, a brand new fraud squad and better protection for the county's most vulnerable people. For Lincolnshire residents, a major investment in local policing is about to make a real difference to everyday life.
Lincolnshire Police has confirmed it will recruit 148 new officers over the next year as part of a three-year plan called Lincs 2030, backed by new government funding.
The plan includes 128 student officers joining through the Police Constable Entry Programme for 2026-27. That will take the force's total officer count to 1,218. A further 20 detectives, trained through the Police Now Detective Academy, will be deployed in October 2027.
For residents, that means a stronger local police presence and more investigators able to deal with serious crimes.
A dedicated fraud team is also being created. That matters. In the past year alone, 137 Lincolnshire victims lost nearly £900,000 to fraudsters, with money ending up in accounts in Australia, Nigeria and the United States. Chief Constable Paul Gibson said fraud is now one of the force's biggest crime types and that the internet has made it far easier for criminals to target people. "It happens to everybody at some point," he said. "It's devastating for victims."
The new team will focus on both investigating fraud and, critically, preventing it.
People who have experienced domestic abuse, child abuse or sexual offences will also see better support. The force is putting extra resources into safeguarding and investigation teams for those areas, where demand has been rising. These are often the most difficult crimes for victims to report, and specialist officers make a real difference to outcomes.
The force is also expanding its Enhanced Video Response team. This allows residents to speak to officers via a video call rather than waiting for a face-to-face appointment. It is a practical change that saves time for residents and means help is more accessible, particularly for those in rural parts of the county.
On top of the officers, 136 additional police staff roles are being created, taking total staffing to around 1,240 posts. Recruitment for some of those roles is already underway following the lifting of a recruitment freeze.
Gibson described the funding deal, agreed in January, as "a game-changer". Without it, the force had faced losing up to 200 officers and 200 support staff. Instead, it now has three years of financial certainty to plan and invest.
"We have a keen eye on the future," Gibson said, "and know that we must design and deliver the very best model of policing in Lincolnshire to keep our communities safe."
The 50 Police Community Support Officers currently serving across Lincolnshire will also be retained as part of the deal.
New officers will begin joining the force from later this year, with detectives following in October 2027. The force says further changes under the Lincs 2030 programme will be announced over the coming three years.