[holding answer 26 November 2007]: Figures collected by the Home Office show numbers of officers deployed to each Basic Command Unit (BCU) in Essex. The closest BCU to the West Chelmsford constituency is Essex Central. The figures show that on 31 March 2007, the latest published period, there were 506 officers in Essex Central BCU. This figure excludes police community support officers and police staff, and also excludes officers and staff in Central Services, which covers the police HQ in Chelmsford.
The Home Office estimates time spent on patrol, but these figures are not collected or estimated below police force area level.