Hansard

Police: Firearms

Volume 474: debated on Tuesday 1 April 2008

Download text
Back to top Previous debate Next debate
Mr. Ruffley

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many police officers were (a) shot at, (b) injured by shootings and (c) killed by shootings in each police force area in England and Wales in each of the last five years for which figures are available. (195619)

Mr. McNulty

Information on firearms offences (excluding air weapons) in which the weapon was fired but did not cause injury and the principle victim was a police officer on duty, from 2002-03 to 2006-07 is given in table (a).

Data relating to crimes recorded by the police in which a police officer on duty was injured by a firearm (excluding air weapon) by the weapon being fired, from 2002-03 up to and including 2006-07 and are given on table (b).

Table a: Crimes recorded by the police in England and Wales in which a firearm (excluding air weapon) was fired but did not cause injury and the principle victim was a police officer on duty, 2002-03 to 2006-07

Police force area

Number of offences

2002-031

Metropolitan

14

Nottinghamshire

1

England and Wales total

15

2003-04

Avon and Somerset

1

Merseyside

1

Metropolitan

7

Surrey

1

West Midlands

2

West Yorkshire

1

England and Wales total

13

2004-052

Greater Manchester

2

Humberside

1

Metropolitan

2

England and Wales total

5

2005-06

Greater Manchester

1

Leicestershire

2

Metropolitan

3

Northamptonshire

1

Northumbria

1

West Yorkshire'

3

England and Wales total

11

2006-07

Greater Manchester

2

Merseyside

1

Metropolitan

2

West Mercia

1

West Yorkshire

1

England and Wales total

7

1 The National Crime Recording Standard was introduced on 1 April 2002. Figures for some crime categories may have been inflated by this.

2 More explicit guidelines for the classification of weapons introduced on 1 April 2004 may have increased the recording of firearm offences particularly those committed by imitation weapons.

Table b: Crimes recorded by the police in England and Wales in which a police officer was injured1 by a firearm (excluding air weapons), by police force area and injury type, 2002-03 to 2006-07

Injury type

Police force area

Fatal injury

Serious injury2

Slight injury

Total injuries

2002-033

Gloucestershire

—

—

1

1

Metropolitan

—

1

5

6

Northamptonshire

—

—

2

2

West Midlands

—

—

3

3

England and Wales total

—

1

11

12

2003-04

Cheshire

—

—

1

1

Devon and Cornwall

—

—

1

1

Metropolitan

—

1

6

7

Nottinghamshire

—

—

1

1

West Midlands

—

1

1

2

West Yorkshire

1

1

—

2

England and Wales total

1

3

10

14

2004-054

Avon and Somerset

—

—

2

2

Greater Manchester

—

—

6

6

Humberside

—

—

1

1

Metropolitan

—

1

4

5

West Midlands

—

—

2

2

England and Wales total

—

1

15

16

2005-06

Cheshire

—

—

1

1

Devon and Cornwall

—

—

2

2

Lancashire

—

1

—

1

Merseyside

—

—

1

1

Metropolitan

—

—

5

5

Nottinghamshire

—

1

—

1

West Midlands

—

1

3

4

West Yorkshire

1

3

—

4

England and Wales total

1

6

12

19

2006-07

Cheshire

—

—

1

1

Gloucestershire

—

—

3

3

Greater Manchester

—

—

1

1

Humberside

—

—

1

1

Leicestershire

—

—

1

1

Merseyside

—

1

—

1

Metropolitan

—

1

2

3

West Midlands

—

1

4

5

West Yorkshire

—

—

2

2

Wiltshire

—

—

1

1

England and Wales total

—

3

16

19

1 By the weapon being fired.

2 A serious injury is one which necessitated detention in hospital or involve fractures, concussion severe general shock penetration of a bullet or multiple shock wounds.

3 The National Crime Recording Standard was introduced on 1 April 2002. Figures for some crime categories may have been inflated by this.

4. More explicit guidelines for the classification of weapons introduced on 1 April 2004 may have increased the recording of firearm offences particularly those committed by imitation weapons.