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Bob Russell
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the approved strength of the Essex police force is; and how many vacancies there are. [129666]
Ms Blears
The Home Office does not set approved strengths for police forces. Essex police had 2,995 police officers on 31 December 2002, a record number. The force employed 1,571 police staff on 31 March 2002, the latest date for which figures are available.I understand that the force intends to take on 105 officers during the remainder of 2003–04.