The number of police officers in each basic command unit has been centrally collected since 2002-03, and the number of police community support officers has been centrally collected since 2006-07; and this information has been published in the supplementary tables of the annual “Police Service Strength, England and Wales” statistical bulletin.
Previous years supplementary tables are available online from the following links and are in the Library of the House.
31 March 2007
http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/pdfs07/hosb1307add_tab.xls
31 March 2006
http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/pdfs06/hosb1306add_tab.xls
31 March 2005
http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/pdfs05/hosb1205add_tab.xls
31 March 2004
http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/pdfs04/hosb1304tabs.xls
31 March 2003
http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/pdfs2/hosb1103tabs.xls
Over the year to 31 March 2007 there was an increase of 369 in the total number of police officers, and over the five years to 31 March 2007 there was an increase of 9,383 officers.