[holding answer 14 September 2009]: The available data are given in the following tables:
Police force 19973 1998 1999 2000 20014 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 Avon and Somerset 204 203 203 197 197 205 213 229 225 226 224 218 213 Bedfordshire 200 197 189 185 184 189 198 210 215 213 207 204 209 Cambridgeshire 188 184 179 172 179 187 196 197 194 196 187 183 191 Cheshire 209 208 211 204 204 209 217 224 223 223 225 218 217 Cleveland 261 266 255 252 253 263 294 314 305 308 315 303 314 Cumbria 233 237 229 220 213 224 237 254 257 256 255 251 258 Derbyshire 187 184 182 183 187 189 210 216 213 212 209 212 215 Devon and Cornwall 186 192 186 182 187 192 204 208 212 219 216 214 213 Dorset 189 192 186 189 196 198 205 209 211 216 217 216 213 Durham 240 249 258 256 263 266 281 288 293 288 285 272 263 Essex 197 193 190 183 178 181 186 192 198 203 203 203 206 Gloucestershire 205 198 197 200 209 209 219 229 230 228 229 234 235 Greater Manchester 268 270 265 264 268 279 298 323 321 318 314 315 321 Hampshire 198 199 197 193 193 195 208 211 212 211 215 214 207 Hertfordshire 205 202 198 201 184 174 191 204 206 208 210 204 204 Humberside 230 228 223 219 217 234 244 256 255 251 251 248 233 Kent 210 209 204 203 209 210 221 228 227 227 229 227 231 Lancashire 228 229 228 223 228 231 239 252 251 253 252 254 259 Leicestershire 211 214 215 215 218 224 232 246 246 241 237 233 243 Lincolnshire 196 193 184 179 191 189 191 189 185 183 183 175 177 London, City of5 * * * * * * * * * * * * * Merseyside 296 297 298 290 291 294 302 303 318 315 325 331 333 Metropolitan Police5 367 356 352 341 351 366 404 420 433 428 426 430 432 Norfolk 185 184 176 175 178 183 189 190 192 193 191 190 198 Northamptonshire 196 193 186 181 186 194 194 198 201 207 200 196 196 Northumbria 256 263 269 266 272 278 290 294 294 291 283 285 294 North Yorkshire 183 186 181 173 175 188 193 203 206 216 217 202 185 Nottinghamshire 225 225 216 214 214 226 239 245 245 243 235 224 227 South Yorkshire 242 244 243 243 245 246 252 261 260 259 256 248 235 Staffordshire 209 217 211 204 201 201 212 218 220 219 219 214 208 Suffolk 180 179 179 171 168 177 188 196 195 191 196 188 182 Surrey 209 207 212 227 192 184 182 183 184 184 183 179 170 Sussex 211 203 191 188 188 190 203 206 205 207 205 201 208 Thames Valley 180 183 180 178 175 177 186 195 198 202 199 194 198 Warwickshire 186 185 180 178 182 190 198 197 195 198 199 198 189 West Mercia 183 180 180 166 171 176 196 202 203 202 205 210 208 West Midlands 270 271 278 274 283 293 307 311 316 318 318 324 332 West Yorkshire 247 244 236 228 228 230 242 254 271 270 270 269 268 Wiltshire 195 195 192 185 184 189 190 198 198 196 192 190 191 Dyfed-Powys 212 210 215 217 219 234 237 236 237 237 236 237 236 Gwent 275 222 224 227 229 239 244 248 259 264 268 266 257 North Wales 208 213 212 213 220 228 234 243 250 242 238 234 234 South Wales 223 242 241 236 250 259 273 275 273 271 273 264 255 England and Wales 241 240 237 233 234 240 254 264 267 267 266 264 266 1 This table is based on 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 Figures up to 31 March 2002 exclude staff on career breaks or maternity/paternity leave. The figures for 31 March 2003 onwards figures include those on career breaks or maternity/paternity leave. 3 Boundary changes on 1 April 1996 transferred resources for the policing of the Rhymney Valley from South Wales Police to Gwent Police. 4 Boundary changes on 1 April 2000 transferred some resources from the Metropolitan Police to Essex, Hertfordshire and Surrey police forces. 5 Officers per 100,000 population for City of London and Metropolitan Police are combined.
Police force area Number Avon and Somerset 48 Bedfordshire 44 Cambridgeshire 47 Cheshire 30 Cleveland 43 Cumbria 31 Derbyshire 42 Devon and Cornwall 32 Dorset 34 Durham 32 Essex 31 Gloucestershire 43 Greater Manchester 44 Hampshire 36 Hertfordshire 29 Humberside 60 Kent 38 Lancashire 37 Leicestershire 41 Lincolnshire 36 London, City of 6 Merseyside 30 Metropolitan police 30 Norfolk 37 Northamptonshire 46 Northumbria 37 North Yorkshire 37 Nottinghamshire 55 South Yorkshire 41 Staffordshire 39 Suffolk 30 Surrey 24 Sussex 37 Thames Valley 42 Warwickshire 39 West Mercia 47 West Midlands 39 West Yorkshire 47 Wiltshire 29 England 37 Note: Recorded crime statistics were collected on a calendar year basis up to 1997 and thereafter on a financial year basis. Therefore, these figures are not comparable with those for later years.
Number Police force area 1998-99 1999-2000 2000-01 2001-02 Avon and Somerset 50 50 50 57 Bedfordshire 47 52 48 49 Cambridgeshire 53 56 50 51 Cheshire 31 32 32 34 Cleveland 47 46 46 49 Cumbria 36 35 31 34 Derbyshire 48 48 45 49 Devon and Cornwall 38 39 35 33 Dorset 41 40 37 40 Durham 32 31 28 32 Essex 33 37 37 38 Gloucestershire 44 46 43 43 Greater Manchester 53 55 53 53 Hampshire 37 40 39 39 Hertfordshire 29 30 33 37 Humberside 66 63 58 57 Kent 40 39 39 36 Lancashire 36 34 36 42 Leicestershire 47 47 43 42 Lincolnshire 41 41 37 42 London, City of 9 11 12 13 Merseyside 33 36 35 37 Metropolitan police 36 41 40 40 Norfolk 41 43 40 40 Northamptonshire 58 55 49 50 Northumbria 39 38 35 35 North Yorkshire 41 42 40 42 Nottinghamshire 61 62 61 68 South Yorkshire 42 42 39 42 Staffordshire 41 46 49 55 Suffolk 34 38 39 42 Surrey 26 26 31 31 Sussex 46 48 48 47 Thames Valley 47 51 51 52 Warwickshire 42 43 40 44 West Mercia 40 45 40 51 West Midlands 43 51 49 48 West Yorkshire 55 54 54 61 Wiltshire 33 34 33 33 England 41 44 42 44 Notes: 1. The coverage was extended and counting rules revised from 1989-99. Figures from that date are not directly comparable with those for 1997 and earlier. 2. The data in this table are prior to the introduction of the National Crime Recording Standard. These figures are not directly comparable with those for later years.
Number Police force area 2002-03 2003-04 2004-05 2005-06 2006-07 2007-08 2008-09 Avon and Somerset 55 48 48 46 48 44 42 Bedfordshire 55 53 48 50 48 44 37 Cambridgeshire 61 57 53 47 50 49 46 Cheshire 40 42 41 44 41 37 35 Cleveland 47 44 41 43 40 40 31 Cumbria 33 32 35 35 31 30 25 Derbyshire 52 48 41 40 40 37 35 Devon and Cornwall 41 40 40 36 36 32 29 Dorset 44 44 40 40 37 35 35 Durham 31 29 27 31 32 30 29 Essex 46 47 42 40 39 36 32 Gloucestershire 45 45 41 41 40 34 32 Greater Manchester 52 46 40 41 42 38 35 Hampshire 42 48 46 47 48 44 43 Hertfordshire 44 46 46 45 42 38 36 Humberside 63 64 56 52 51 44 42 Kent 37 38 38 41 40 36 32 Lancashire 39 43 43 40 38 34 32 Leicestershire 45 42 42 41 42 40 37 Lincolnshire 51 49 48 47 45 44 42 London, City of 12 11 10 10 9 9 9 Merseyside 40 41 40 41 35 29 27 Metropolitan police 39 36 33 32 30 28 27 Norfolk 48 46 43 42 40 36 30 Northamptonshire 61 63 58 52 52 50 45 Northumbria 42 39 35 33 33 28 26 North Yorkshire 47 47 40 36 33 32 35 Nottinghamshire 67 64 57 56 57 54 49 South Yorkshire 48 43 43 50 49 45 43 Staffordshire 49 48 44 46 46 39 39 Suffolk 40 41 40 41 38 37 37 Surrey 36 38 37 36 39 36 36 Sussex 44 44 46 44 43 39 34 Thames Valley 54 52 50 48 50 48 46 Warwickshire 44 45 43 42 43 41 40 West Mercia 47 45 40 36 34 34 32 West Midlands 45 43 36 36 34 30 27 West Yorkshire 64 62 47 46 44 40 37 Wiltshire 38 35 33 35 37 37 34 England 45 44 40 40 38 35 33 Note: The data in this table take account of the introduction of the National Crime Recording Standard in April 2002. These figures are therefore not directly comparable with those for earlier years.
Officer strength figures for North Yorkshire, the Yorkshire and Humber Government office region and England are all available within the annual Police Service Strength England and Wales, Statistical Bulletin. Figures as at 31 March are published every July.
Police personnel statistics are not available by parliamentary constituency. Figures at basic command unit level are available in the supplementary tables to the statistical bulletin.
Recent editions of the bulletin are available on the Home Office website and previous editions are available in the House of Commons Library at:
http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/policeorg1.html