[holding answer 20 November 2006]: The information is set out in tables, which have been placed in the Library.
Table 4 within the Police Service Strength bulletin for 31 March 2006 (Home Office Statistical Bulletin13/06) contains the most recent information per 100,000 of the population and these data are also given in the tables. The most recent Police Service Strength bulletin can be downloaded from:
http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/pdfs06/hosb1306.pdf
The information is set out in the tables.
2002-03 Force Precept (Band D) Metropolitan 130.59 Northamptonshire 105.25 West Mercia 104.50 Dorset 103.50 Warwickshire 101.78 Staffordshire 100.93 Cumbria 100.48 Norfolk 100.35 Dyfed-Powys 98.10 North Wales 96.53 Surrey 96.44 Cleveland 96.13 Humberside 95.40 Leicestershire 95.21 Gwent 95.17 Lincolnshire 94.86 Merseyside 94.76 Cambridgeshire 94.59 Gloucestershire 94.01 Derbyshire 91.96 Wiltshire 91.54 South Wales 89.85 North Yorkshire 88.59 Nottinghamshire 85.17 Avon and Somerset 83.40 Suffolk 82.08 Hertfordshire 81.01 Bedfordshire 78.69 Essex 77.67 West Yorkshire 75.92 Hampshire 75.15 South Yorkshire 74.09 Lancashire 73.86 Devon and Cornwall 73.80 Kent 73.64 Cheshire 73.54 Thames Valley 73.49 Sussex 69.84 Greater Manchester 68.86 Durham 64.44 West Midlands 61.88 Northumbria 58.15
Force Precept (Band D) Metropolitan 159.13 North Yorkshire 156.00 Gloucestershire 142.59 Surrey 135.09 Cumbria 130.71 Northamptonshire 130.09 North Wales 126.94 Staffordshire 126.50 Dyfed-Powys 124.11 Dorset 123.39 Norfolk 121.95 Cleveland 120.22 West Mercia 119.80 Gwent 119.11 Warwickshire 117.30 Cambridgeshire 113.31 Humberside 113.04 Derbyshire 111.77 Avon and Somerset 111.64 Wiltshire 109.68 Suffolk 109.35 Nottinghamshire 109.30 Thames Valley 106.24 Leicestershire 104.77 Lincolnshire 104.40 South Wales 103.51 Devon and Cornwall 103.27 Merseyside 101.54 Hertfordshire 98.28 Sussex 97.74 Hampshire 97.29 Kent 94.95 South Yorkshire 94.30 Bedfordshire 93.44 Essex 92.97 Greater Manchester 91.65 West Yorkshire 88.81 Cheshire 88.10 Lancashire 87.57 Durham 79.56 West Midlands 71.16 Northumbria 63.80
Force Precept (Band D) Metropolitan 184.08 North Yorkshire 171.50 Gloucestershire 156.71 North Wales 151.57 Cumbria 150.28 Northamptonshire 149.43 Surrey 147.06 Dyfed-Powys 142.65 Gwent 139.13 Norfolk 138.69 Staffordshire 138.44 West Mercia 137.69 Cleveland 136.84 Dorset 135.36 Humberside 129.96 Cambridgeshire 129.33 Warwickshire 126.55 Avon and Somerset 125.09 Derbyshire 122.88 Wiltshire 120.63 Thames Valley 120.51 Nottinghamshire 120.12 Leicestershire 120.11 Suffolk 119.70 South Wales 115.71 Devon and Cornwall 113.39 Hertfordshire 112.53 Lincolnshire 112.23 Merseyside 110.17 Hampshire 108.36 Bedfordshire 107.17 Kent 105.66 Sussex 105.12 South Yorkshire 102.79 West Yorkshire 102.06 Lancashire 100.70 Essex 99.27 Greater Manchester 98.52 Cheshire 97.71 Durham 91.53 West Midlands 80.08 Northumbria 66.93
Force Precept (Band D) Metropolitan 196.28 North Yorkshire 176.00 Gloucestershire 162.90 North Wales 158.94 Cumbria 155.43 Northamptonshire 154.41 Surrey 154.26 Norfolk 145.53 Staffordshire 145.28 Gwent 145.07 Cleveland 143.68 West Mercia 143.17 Dyfed-Powys 143.10 Dorset 142.11 Humberside 135.72 Cambridgeshire 135.54 Warwickshire 132.52 Avon and Somerset 131.34 Derbyshire 129.02 Wiltshire 126.63 Thames Valley 126.28 Leicestershire 126.04 Nottinghamshire 126.01 Suffolk 125.01 South Wales 120.40 Devon and Cornwall 119.62 Lincolnshire 119.43 Hertfordshire 118.09 Merseyside 115.68 Hampshire 113.76 Bedfordshire 111.98 Kent 110.88 Sussex 110.25 South Yorkshire 107.88 Lancashire 107.72 West Yorkshire 107.05 Greater Manchester 105.41 Essex 104.76 Cheshire 102.60 Durham 96.03 West Midlands 83.68 Northumbria 70.03
Force Precept (Band D) Metropolitan 210.82 North Yorkshire 180.00 Gloucestershire 170.96 North Wales 166.89 Surrey 163.26 Cumbria 163.08 Northamptonshire 162.11 Norfolk 154.17 Staffordshire 152.53 Gwent 152.32 Cleveland 150.72 West Mercia 150.24 Dyfed-Powys 150.21 Dorset 149.13 Humberside 142.47 Cambridgeshire 142.29 Warwickshire 138.95 Avon and Somerset 137.84 Derbyshire 135.15 Wiltshire 132.84 Thames Valley 132.58 Leicestershire 132.33 Nottinghamshire 132.24 Suffolk 130.86 South Wales 126.42 Devon and Cornwall 125.53 Lincolnshire 125.37 Hertfordshire 123.98 Merseyside 121.46 Hampshire 119.43 Bedfordshire 117.55 Kent 116.37 Sussex 115.74 South Yorkshire 113.27 Lancashire 113.09 West Yorkshire 112.40 Essex 110.97 Greater Manchester 110.67 Cheshire 108.49 Durham 100.80 West Midlands 87.55 Northumbria 71.78 Source: DCLG (English Police Authorities). Welsh Assembly Government (Welsh Police Authorities).
The available data for the total number of police officers in Gloucestershire and England are given in the tables. The closest available data to cover officers on the streets and in neighbourhood teams are in terms of officers primarily employed within the function foot/car/beat patrol. These data for Gloucestershire and England are also given in the tables.
1997 2006 Foot/Car/Beat Patrol2 4n/a 456 Total strength3 1,133 1,303 1 Full-Time Equivalent figures rounded to the nearest whole number. This figure includes those on career breaks or maternity/paternity leave. 2 Staff with multiple responsibilities (or designations) are recorded under their primary role or function. The deployment of police officers is an operational matter for individual Chief Constables. 3 Overall force totals including those on career breaks or maternity/paternity leave. The data in the function breakdown is from unpublished sources and therefore totals may not match totals found in the published data. 4 Data for 1996-97 are not available.
1997 2006 Foot/Car/Beat Patrol2 4n/a 55,291 Total strength3 118,453 133,925 1.Full-Time Equivalent figures rounded to the nearest whole number. This figure includes those on career breaks or maternity/paternity leave. 2 Staff with multiple responsibilities (or designations) are recorded under their primary role or function. The deployment of police officers is an operational matter for individual Chief Constables. 3 Overall force totals including those on career breaks or maternity/paternity leave. The data in the function breakdown is from unpublished sources and therefore totals may not match totals found in the published data. 4 Data for 1996-97 are not available.