DORSET Police has introduced a new force logo to ensure it is accessible for all members of the community.

The former logo had the force's name written vertically, which was not easy for some people to read.

The rebrand was managed in-house by Dorset Police, with a cost of £4,000 for "minimal" outsourced design work.

If the whole rebrand had been outsourced, it would have could have cost as much as £48,000, a police spokeswoman said.

A full consultation was not carried out due to the pandemic, but the force did involve members of staff, their families and its equality and diversity leaders.

A Dorset Police spokeswoman said: "It is really important that we are accessible and a key reason for rebranding the Force logo was to improve our connectivity across all communities.

"The previous brand, with the name written vertically, was not accessible or easy to read for some individuals, especially those who are visually impaired, those with neurodiversity or people for whom English is not a first language. We hope that the new brand will improve the accessibility of the service for our diverse communities.

"In order to deliver the change in the most cost effective way, the management of the Force rebrand has been carried out in-house. We outsourced minimal design work at a cost of £4,000. This is incredibly low compared to the cost of outsourcing all the work, which could have been as high as £48,000.

"The roll-out of the brand across the force will be organic. We will update the brand as and when things need to be replaced, therefore accruing no additional cost to the force."

The new logo has already been introduced on the Dorset Police website and the force's main social media pages.

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