The available data can be seen in the following table.
These and other related data are published annually as part of the annual Police Service Strength Home Office Statistical Bulletin. The latest bulletin can be found at:
http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/policeorg1.html
and bulletins for this and previous years are deposited in the Library of the House.
Number 2005 4,189 2006 4,288 2007 4,260 2008 4,186 2009 4,317 1 This table contains full-time equivalent figures that have been rounded to the nearest whole number. 2 Figures include officers on career break or maternity/paternity leave.