The available data are given in the table as follows.
As at 31 March: Police officers Police community support officers2, 3, 4 1997 393 — 1998 444 — 1999 466 — 2000 255 — 2001 553 — 2002 676 — 2003 792 0 2004 643 33 2005 542 106 2006 492 64 1 Full time equivalent. This figure includes those on career breaks or maternity/paternity leave 2 Police community support officers were introduced in statute in 2002, therefore data are not available prior to 2002-03 3 Data are not available for Quarter 1 2002-03 (April to June 2002 inclusive) 4 Data are not available for Quarter 1 2003-04 (April to June 2003 inclusive)
Police service strength data are collected and published annually and data are given as at 31 March of the relevant year. Data from 31 March 2001 to 31 March 2006 have therefore been given in the following tables.
Police force 20013 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 Avon and Somerset 2,994 3,096 3,149 3,401 3,384 3,389 Bedfordshire 1,036 1,069 1,106 1,181 1,215 1,198 Cambridgeshire 1,296 1,362 1,384 1,400 1,402 1,430 Cheshire 2,002 2,059 2,119 2,177 2,186 2,174 Cleveland 1,407 1,461 1,582 1,687 1,676 1,677 Cumbria 1,048 1,100 1,140 1,222 1,232 1,230 Derbyshire 1,823 1,848 2,003 2,070 2,070 2,046 Devon and Cornwall 2,934 3,053 3,202 3,283 3,369 3,493 Dorset 1,354 1,381 1,416 1,433 1,450 1,485 Durham 1,595 1,614 1,651 1,685 1,718 1,699 Essex 2,897 2,946 2,989 3,098 3,190 3,279 Gloucestershire 1,173 1,183 1,227 1,284 1,291 1,289 Greater Manchester 6,909 7,217 7,343 8,042 8.041 7,959 Hampshire 3,438 3,480 3,668 3,706 3,725 3,707 Hertfordshire 1,922 1,825 1,957 2,086 2,104 2,126 Humberside 1,917 2,058 2,105 2,213 2,230 2,224 Kent 3,319 3,355 3,487 3,576 3,586 3,599 Lancashire 3,255 3,304 3,339 3,550 3,551 3,583 Leicestershire 2,032 2,100 2,114 2,277 2,283 2,250 Lincolnshire 1,202 1,198 1,221 1,228 1,221 1,213 London, City of 703 764 808 853 876 869 Merseyside 4,081 4,125 4,099 4,122 4,317 4,269 Metropolitan Police 24,878 26,223 27,984 29,735 30,710 30,536 Norfolk 1,420 1,468 1,499 1,510 1,544 1,557 Northamptonshire 1,157 1,214 1,210 1,239 1,267 1,317 Northumbria 3,857 3,929 3,943 4,040 4,048 3,983 North Yorkshire 1,305 1,417 1,444 1,529 1,543 1,636 Nottinghamshire 2,275 2,330 2,411 2,484 2,502 2,477 South Yorkshire 3,197 3,199 3,183 3,279 3,265 3,255 Staffordshire 2,129 2,133 2,202 2,266 2,280 2,272 Suffolk 1,133 1,203 1,253 1,304 1,313 1,300 Surrey 2,066 1,992 1,906 1,913 1,915 1,922 Sussex 2,855 2,893 2,989 3,039 3,044 3,092 Thames Valley 3,703 3,762 3,833 4,034 4,114 4,229 Warwickshire 926 969 997 1,008 1,011 1,032 West Mercia 1,951 2,018 2,256 2,355 2,367 2,351 West Midlands 7,423 7,681 7,751 7,887 8,056 8,097 West Yorkshire 4,815 4,889 5,029 5,275 5,631 5,644 Wiltshire 1,120 1,157 1,158 1,217 1,222 1.219 Dyfed-Powys 1,055 1.132 1,149 1,160 1,174 1,182 Gwent 1,274 1,333 1,341 1,372 1,438 1,467 North Wales 1,444 1,506 1,539 1,603 1.652 1,617 South Wales 3,154 3,222 3,239 3,279 3,281 3,263 1 This table contains full-time equivalent figures that have been rounded to the nearest whole number. Because of rounding, there may be an apparent discrepancy between totals and the sums of the constituent items. 2 Full-time equivalent excludes those on career breaks or maternity/paternity leave. 3 Boundary changes on 1 April 2000 transferred some resources from the Metropolitan Police to Essex, Hertfordshire and Surrey police forces.
Government region 20013 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 North East 6,858 7,004 7,176 7,412 7,442 7,359 North West 17,296 17,805 18,040 19,113 19,327 19,215 Yorkshire and the Humber 11,234 11,563 11,761 12,296 12,669 12,759 East Midlands 8,490 8,690 8,959 9,298 9,343 9,303 West Midlands 12,429 12,801 13,206 13,516 13,714 13,752 Eastern 9,703 9,873 10,188 10,579 10,768 10,890 London 25,581 26,987 28,792 30,588 31,586 31,405 South East 15,381 15,482 15,883 16,268 16,384 16,549 South West 9,576 9,870 10,152 10,618 10,716 10,875 Wales 6,927 7,193 7,268 7,414 7,545 7,529 1 This table contains full-time equivalent figures that have been rounded to the nearest whole number. Because of rounding, there may be an apparent discrepancy between totals and the sums of the constituent items. 2 Full-time equivalent excludes those on career breaks or maternity/paternity leave. 3 Boundary changes on 1 April 2000 transferred some resources from the Metropolitan Police to Essex, Hertfordshire and Surrey police forces.
Police community support officer strength1 (FTE)2 by police force as at 31 March 2003 to 31 March 063Police force200320042005420064Avon and Somerset045139130Bedfordshire0124041Cambridgeshire65786101Cheshire2505275Cleveland377775100Cumbria001717Derbyshire004342Devon and Cornwall19517474Dorset684761Durham10286967Essex1086179192Gloucestershire0547272Greater Manchester160173269251Hampshire002630Hertfordshire144698139Humberside002020Kent05910597Lancashire77110161184Leicestershire2841103136Lincolnshire29387578London, City of001411Merseyside4072170196Metropolitan Police5131,4632,1472,315Norfolk12336865Northamptonshire12103740Northumbria051126129North Yorkshire0527571Nottinghamshire1056108112South Yorkshire1459124121Staffordshire076370Suffolk0153430Surrey2156115126Sussex2283228257Thames Valley0798130Warwickshire11255664West Mercia8578185West Midlands039219252West Yorkshire70265394462Wiltshire15234157Dyfed-Powys052526Gwent30457776North Wales005958South Wales0591071111 This table contains full-time equivalent figures that have been rounded to the nearest whole number. Because of rounding, there may be an apparent discrepancy between totals and the sums of the constituent items.2 Full-time equivalent includes those on career breaks or maternity/paternity leave.3 Police community support officers were introduced in statute in 2002, therefore data are not available prior to 2002-03.4 Strength figures as at 31 March 2005 onwards include those staff on career breaks or maternity/paternity leave. Therefore these figures are not comparable with those provided for other years in the table.
Government region 2003 2004 20054 20064 North East 47 155 270 296 North West 280 406 669 723 Yorkshire and the Humber 84 376 613 674 East Midlands 79 145 366 408 West Midlands 19 129 419 471 Eastern 41 248 505 568 London 513 1,463 2,161 2,326 South East 43 205 572 640 South West 40 181 373 394 Wales 30 109 268 271 1 This table contains full-time equivalent figures that have been rounded to the nearest whole number. Because of rounding, there may be an apparent discrepancy between totals and the sums of the constituent items. 2 Full-time equivalent includes those on career breaks or maternity/paternity leave. 3 Police community support officers were introduced in statute in 2002, therefore data are not available prior to 2002-03. 4 Strength figures as at 31 March 2005 onwards include those staff on career breaks or maternity/paternity leave. Therefore these figures are not comparable with those provided for other years in the table.