I am today publishing statistics on police use of firearms in England and Wales for the period 1 April 2012 to 31 March 2013. These show that:
The number of police operations in which firearms were authorised was 10,996—a decrease of 1,554 (14.1 %) on the previous year.
The number of authorised firearms officers (AFO’s) was 6,091—a decrease of 665 (10.9%) officers overall on the previous year.
The number of operations involving armed response vehicles was 13,116—a decrease of 1,145 (8.7%) on the previous year.
The police discharged a conventional firearm in three incidents—down from 5 incidents in 2011-12.
Full details are set out in the following tables.
2003/4 | 2004/5 | 2005/6 | 2006/7 | 2007/8 | 2008/9 | 2009/10 | 2010/11 | 2011/12 | 2012/13 | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
AVON & SOMERSET | 311 | 333 | 247 | 285 | 328 | 339 | 267 | 250 | 193 | 239 |
BEDFORDSHIRE | 442 | 475 | 575 | 663 | 1,217 | 1,229 | 869 | 1,047 | 783 | 428 |
CAMBRIDGESHIRE | 104 | 241 | 201 | 207 | 316 | 460 | 490 | 402 | 347 | 352 |
CHESHIRE | 397 | 358 | 367 | 340 | 317 | 269 | 314 | 244 | 226 | 175 |
CLEVELAND | 453 | 530 | 657 | 293 | 577 | 667 | 430 | 581 | 489 | 208 |
CITY OF LONDON | 364 | 404 | 323 | 239 | 365 | 63 | 38 | 64 | 64 | 52 |
CUMBRIA | 72 | 152 | 112 | 92 | 92 | 86 | 80 | 109 | 67 | 93 |
DERBYSHIRE | 369 | 287 | 305 | 223 | 211 | 310 | 198 | 179 | 190 | 204 |
DEVON & CORNWALL | 112 | 71 | 84 | 80 | 143 | 170 | 185 | 189 | 163 | 151 |
DORSET | 231 | 223 | 263 | 354 | 258 | 369 | 351 | 242 | 194 | 188 |
DURHAM | 156 | 144 | 291 | 340 | 206 | 181 | 140 | 205 | 202 | 201 |
ESSEX | 275 | 296 | 432 | 245 | 529 | 529 | 444 | 384 | 402 | 584 |
GLOUCESTERSHIRE | 127 | 176 | 229 | 280 | 162 | 132 | 175 | 133 | 160 | 21 |
GTR MANCHESTER | 507 | 461 | 478 | 481 | 497 | 524 | 415 | 360 | 414 | 472 |
HAMPSHIRE | 208 | 237 | 289 | 352 | 382 | 362 | 292 | 360 | 487 | 291 |
HERTFORDSHIRE | 195 | 185 | 187 | 280 | 303 | 343 | 205 | 334 | 247 | 47 |
HUMBERSIDE | 183 | 206 | 362 | 235 | 209 | 123 | 133 | 166 | 99 | 85 |
KENT | 207 | 163 | 219 | 170 | 202 | 280 | 275 | 213 | 168 | 222 |
LANCASHIRE | 318 | 241 | 240 | 410 | 388 | 281 | 245 | 169 | 113 | 93 |
LEICESTERSHIRE | 295 | 260 | 363 | 334 | 318 | 347 | 280 | 196 | 217 | 209 |
LINCOLNSHIRE | 386 | 294 | 220 | 157 | 158 | 133 | 73 | 97 | 134 | 84 |
MERSEYSIDE | 751 | 733 | 669 | 727 | 829 | 556 | 701 | 663 | 708 | 754 |
METROPOLITAN1 | 3,563 | 2,964 | 4,711 | 3,878 | 4,948 | 2,029 | 1,971 | 1,661 | 1,303 | 1,136 |
NORFOLK | 178 | 195 | 175 | 153 | 174 | 274 | 192 | 252 | 219 | 133 |
NORTHAMPTONSHIRE | 148 | 158 | 137 | 156 | 159 | 120 | 109 | 129 | 182 | 159 |
NORTHUMBRIA | 1,140 | 977 | 611 | 332 | 229 | 154 | 156 | 167 | 150 | 204 |
NORTH YORKSHIRE | 147 | 185 | 183 | 282 | 329 | 289 | 272 | 228 | 280 | 283 |
NOTTINGHAMSHIRE | 459 | 408 | 394 | 289 | 270 | 245 | 194 | 279 | 303 | 276 |
SOUTH YORKSHIRE | 484 | 546 | 749 | 737 | 628 | 538 | 533 | 434 | 384 | 362 |
STAFFORDSHIRE | 255 | 216 | 171 | 250 | 244 | 209 | 183 | 231 | 201 | 160 |
SUFFOLK | 251 | 153 | 202 | 256 | 193 | 237 | 225 | 227 | 280 | 227 |
SURREY | 203 | 151 | 222 | 222 | 375 | 479 | 188 | 162 | 141 | 180 |
SUSSEX | 280 | 187 | 190 | 201 | 331 | 331 | 227 | 205 | 247 | 180 |
THAMES VALLEY | 195 | 289 | 427 | 264 | 293 | 344 | 319 | 257 | 326 | 295 |
WARWICKSHIRE | 164 | 124 | 180 | 162 | 150 | 145 | 129 | 93 | 101 | 72 |
WEST MERCIA | 197 | 162 | 122 | 155 | 202 | 171 | 122 | 98 | 114 | 136 |
WEST MIDLANDS | 1,377 | 1,264 | 1,044 | 1,557 | 1,063 | 1,109 | 933 | 750 | 641 | 791 |
WEST YORKSHIRE2 | 575 | 853 | 1,335 | 1,245 | 831 | 887 | 737 | 641 | 450 | 437 |
WILTSHIRE | 63 | 88 | 139 | 226 | 128 | 158 | 152 | 86 | 87 | 91 |
DYFED POWYS | 28 | 51 | 63 | 72 | 155 | 92 | 71 | 91 | 292 | 109 |
GWENT | 40 | 81 | 94 | 133 | 334 | 152 | 151 | 139 | 197 | 133 |
NORTH WALES | 197 | 223 | 350 | 340 | 259 | 185 | 126 | 182 | 186 | 113 |
SOUTH WALES3 | 250 | 236 | 279 | 308 | 293 | 555 | 628 | 597 | 399 | 366 |
TOTAL | 16,657 | 15,981 | 18,891 | 18,005 | 19,595 | 16,456 | 14,218 | 13,496 | 12,550 | 10,996 |
2003/4 | 2004/5 | 2005/6 | 2006/7 | 2007/8 | 2008/9 | 2009/10 | 2010/11 | 2011/12 | 2012/13 | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
AVON & SOMERSET | 122 | 118 | 117 | 103 | 123 | 127 | 124 | 129 | 120 | 110 |
BEDFORDSHIRE | 58 | 56 | 59 | 57 | 53 | 50 | 54 | 55 | 55 | 61 |
CAMBRIDGESHIRE | 60 | 60 | 50 | 46 | 49 | 51 | 45 | 46 | 49 | 37 |
CHESHIRE | 75 | 76 | 73 | 80 | 72 | 88 | 95 | 87 | 80 | 68 |
CLEVELAND | 95 | 100 | 100 | 105 | 97 | 83 | 72 | 74 | 64 | 62 |
CITY OF LONDON | 86 | 89 | 86 | 45 | 49 | 50 | 51 | 53 | 52 | 45 |
CUMBRIA | 89 | 90 | 89 | 90 | 97 | 86 | 91 | 92 | 91 | 87 |
DERBYSHIRE | 70 | 74 | 75 | 69 | 61 | 61 | 71 | 65 | 60 | 61 |
DEVON & CORNWALL | 132 | 123 | 122 | 132 | 142 | 146 | 157 | 146 | 147 | 138 |
DORSET | 60 | 64 | 62 | 67 | 71 | 79 | 65 | 62 | 58 | 53 |
DURHAM | 97 | 103 | 100 | 102 | 89 | 82 | 81 | 70 | 67 | 65 |
ESSEX | 186 | 202 | 205 | 220 | 225 | 223 | 223 | 207 | 202 | 198 |
GLOUCESTERSHIRE | 82 | 93 | 92 | 94 | 95 | 97 | 108 | 102 | 97 | 87 |
GTR MANCHESTER | 205 | 187 | 245 | 217 | 250 | 296 | 237 | 227 | 236 | 227 |
HAMPSHIRE | 94 | 92 | 97 | 83 | 85 | 93 | 96 | 87 | 92 | 80 |
HERTFORDSHIRE | 50 | 53 | 52 | 49 | 53 | 50 | 46 | 47 | 45 | 39 |
HUMBERSIDE | 96 | 101 | 92 | 83 | 87 | 80 | 77 | 72 | 77 | 68 |
KENT | 90 | 94 | 94 | 98 | 87 | 110 | 103 | 97 | 101 | 94 |
LANCASHIRE | 122 | 115 | 123 | 103 | 143 | 105 | 94 | 92 | 95 | 91 |
LEICESTERSHIRE | 51 | 53 | 59 | 67 | 64 | 73 | 76 | 71 | 78 | 68 |
LINCOLNSHIRE | 78 | 86 | 87 | 75 | 77 | 69 | 60 | 71 | 62 | 61 |
MERSEYSIDE | 94 | 93 | 129 | 139 | 153 | 154 | 141 | 127 | 122 | 120 |
METROPOLITAN | 2,060 | 2,134 | 2,331 | 2,584 | 2,530 | 2,740 | 2,856 | 2,665 | 2,731 | 2,314 |
NORFOLK | 114 | 125 | 119 | 127 | 114 | 106 | 111 | 112 | 125 | 104 |
NORTHAMPTONSHIRE | 52 | 50 | 56 | 59 | 53 | 50 | 55 | 50 | 55 | 48 |
NORTHUMBRIA | 90 | 93 | 98 | 92 | 96 | 95 | 102 | 96 | 95 | 98 |
NORTH YORKSHIRE | 60 | 56 | 78 | 67 | 67 | 63 | 64 | 72 | 77 | 70 |
NOTTINGHAMSHIRE | 138 | 138 | 149 | 146 | 137 | 133 | 91 | 98 | 92 | 81 |
SOUTH YORKSHIRE | 98 | 122 | 116 | 118 | 106 | 99 | 102 | 86 | 98 | 93 |
STAFFORDSHIRE | 67 | 76 | 70 | 82 | 82 | 75 | 85 | 81 | 88 | 80 |
SUFFOLK | 96 | 88 | 84 | 78 | 74 | 67 | 68 | 79 | 67 | 59 |
SURREY | 53 | 49 | 51 | 45 | 54 | 54 | 60 | 56 | 54 | 50 |
SUSSEX | 134 | 130 | 129 | 129 | 123 | 123 | 114 | 129 | 129 | 126 |
THAMES VALLEY | 172 | 176 | 180 | 186 | 180 | 180 | 193 | 194 | 199 | 194 |
WARWICKSHIRE | 46 | 53 | 55 | 59 | 63 | 66 | 76 | 60 | 62 | 42 |
WEST MERCIA | 139 | 141 | 152 | 133 | 163 | 137 | 115 | 132 | 134 | 127 |
WEST MIDLANDS | 124 | 134 | 145 | 175 | 177 | 165 | 180 | 167 | 156 | 158 |
WEST YORKSHIRE | 140 | 130 | 150 | 148 | 147 | 135 | 156 | 140 | 156 | 151 |
WILTSHIRE | 80 | 74 | 72 | 69 | 67 | 74 | 69 | 65 | 70 | 74 |
DYFED POWYS | 58 | 79 | 68 | 72 | 67 | 63 | 64 | 72 | 79 | 72 |
GWENT | 71 | 74 | 86 | 64 | 63 | 54 | 61 | 59 | 59 | 56 |
NORTH WALES | 73 | 65 | 57 | 56 | 57 | 53 | 76 | 57 | 80 | 72 |
SOUTH WALES | 139 | 134 | 130 | 115 | 138 | 121 | 114 | 104 | 100 | 102 |
TOTAL | 6,096 | 6,243 | 6,584 | 6,728 | 6,780 | 6,906 | 6,979 | 6,653 | 6,756 | 6,091 |
2003/4 | 2004/5 | 2005/6 | 2006/7 | 2007/8 | 2008/9 | 2009/10 | 2010/11 | 2011/12 | 2012/13 | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
AVON & SOMERSET | 249 | 312 | 167 | 192 | 292 | 231 | 137 | 135 | 146 | 180 |
BEDFORDSHIRE | 414 | 419 | 534 | 639 | 1,171 | 1,188 | 819 | 991 | 739 | 383 |
CAMBRIDGESHIRE | 155 | 172 | 160 | 172 | 221 | 366 | 393 | 307 | 256 | 281 |
CHESHIRE4 | 356 | 773 | 807 | 793 | 642 | 221 | 244 | 226 | 175 | |
CLEVELAND5 | 86 | 154 | 285 | 290 | 554 | 661 | 426 | 481 | 233 | |
CITY OF LONDON | 364 | 275 | 234 | 183 | 200 | 63 | 32 | 63 | 64 | 51 |
CUMBRIA | 65 | 134 | 90 | 72 | 74 | 56 | 51 | 75 | 50 | 63 |
DERBYSHIRE | 312 | 254 | 257 | 183 | 187 | 252 | 169 | 141 | 152 | 168 |
DEVON & CORNWALL | 94 | 54 | 54 | 76 | 120 | 138 | 168 | 174 | 154 | 135 |
DORSET | 215 | 195 | 246 | 322 | 238 | 347 | 349 | 200 | 148 | 145 |
DURHAM | 96 | 91 | 256 | 204 | 192 | 164 | 140 | 204 | 193 | 192 |
ESSEX | 138 | 138 | 155 | 224 | 226 | 391 | 273 | 187 | 277 | 443 |
GLOUCESTERSHIRE | 109 | 121 | 145 | 213 | 147 | 120 | 100 | 78 | 104 | 115 |
GTR MANCHESTER | 440 | 364 | 306 | 214 | 196 | 460 | 292 | 288 | 290 | 323 |
HAMPSHIRE | 128 | 167 | 178 | 270 | 271 | 247 | 194 | 312 | 427 | 279 |
HERTFORDSHIRE | 157 | 155 | 160 | 226 | 262 | 311 | 182 | 286 | 206 | 167 |
HUMBERSIDE | 158 | 184 | 335 | 232 | 183 | 94 | 111 | 115 | 85 | 73 |
KENT | 193 | 124 | 183 | 373 | 364 | 325 | 227 | 203 | 134 | 189 |
LANCASHIRE | 273 | 228 | 232 | 383 | 313 | 279 | 239 | 166 | 109 | 76 |
LEICESTERSHIRE | 269 | 232 | 328 | 313 | 268 | 332 | 263 | 180 | 209 | 197 |
LINCOLNSHIRE | 355 | 276 | 210 | 147 | 153 | 128 | 63 | 89 | 124 | 76 |
MERSEYSIDE | 687 | 677 | 611 | 644 | 734 | 445 | 631 | 491 | 584 | 645 |
METROPOLITAN6 | 2,423 | 2,322 | 2,572 | 2,770 | 2,303 | 7,374 | 7,295 | 6,009 | 4,696 | 4,289 |
NORFOLK | 169 | 163 | 149 | 133 | 165 | 252 | 176 | 217 | 183 | 95 |
NORTHAMPTONSHIRE | 99 | 89 | 101 | 119 | 127 | 117 | 88 | 104 | 159 | 138 |
NORTHUMBRIA | 1,063 | 893 | 585 | 299 | 199 | 129 | 134 | 112 | 103 | 108 |
NORTH YORKSHIRE | 110 | 144 | 208 | 268 | 318 | 287 | 267 | 210 | 265 | 268 |
NOTTINGHAMSHIRE | 404 | 336 | 342 | 256 | 246 | 197 | 175 | 220 | 239 | 215 |
SOUTH YORKSHIRE | 322 | 438 | 632 | 522 | 493 | 387 | 325 | 307 | 259 | 308 |
STAFFORDSHIRE | 212 | 183 | 154 | 222 | 231 | 192 | 155 | 224 | 153 | 114 |
SUFFOLK | 194 | 119 | 149 | 204 | 148 | 206 | 189 | 166 | 207 | 161 |
SURREY | 190 | 140 | 204 | 209 | 380 | 469 | 174 | 155 | 137 | 161 |
SUSSEX | 250 | 163 | 162 | 165 | 311 | 248 | 177 | 175 | 108 | 148 |
THAMES VALLEY | 179 | 265 | 355 | 227 | 254 | 292 | 272 | 225 | 291 | 264 |
WARWICKSHIRE | 138 | 102 | 144 | 121 | 113 | 100 | 92 | 73 | 71 | 46 |
WEST MERCIA | 241 | 152 | 94 | 120 | 121 | 128 | 148 | 93 | 108 | 100 |
WEST MIDLANDS | 975 | 952 | 745 | 518 | 716 | 739 | 689 | 597 | 451 | 610 |
WEST YORKSHIRE7 | 543 | 656 | 1,040 | 1,060 | 645 | 634 | 450 | 412 | 347 | 333 |
WILTSHIRE | 28 | 54 | 124 | 190 | 359 | 499 | 120 | 49 | 61 | 72 |
DYFED POWYS | 28 | 48 | 55 | 72 | 135 | 80 | 59 | 71 | 199 | 481 |
GWENT | 23 | 74 | 85 | 109 | 257 | 138 | 147 | 131 | 101 | 133 |
NORTH WALES | 153 | 180 | 299 | 295 | 221 | 156 | 107 | 165 | 166 | 97 |
SOUTH WALES8 | 161 | 165 | 223 | 283 | 222 | 485 | 570 | 1,649 | 1,280 | 386 |
TOTAL | 13,218 | 13,137 | 14,355 | 14,527 | 14,972 | 19,928 | 17,068 | 16,774 | 14,261 | 13,116 |
2003/4 | 2004/5 | 2005/6 | 2006/7 | 2007/8 | 2008/9 | 2009/10 | 2010/119 | 2011/12 | 2012/13 | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Number of INCIDENTS | 4 | 5 | 9 | 3 | 7 | 5 | 6 | 4 | 5 | 3 |
% OF INCIDENTS COMPARED WITH NUMBER OF AUTHORISED OPERATIONS | 0.024 | 0.031 | 0.048 | 0.017 | 0.036 | 0.030 | 0.042 | 0.030 | 0.040 | 0.027 |
Source: Association of Chief Police Officers (Does not include discharges for animal destruction or during police training).
Notes for tables:
1. Revised figures supplied for 2008/09 to 2011/12 by Metropolitan Police Service.
2. Revised figures supplied for 2006/7 to 2011 /12 by West Yorkshire Police.
3. Revised figures supplied for 2010/11 by South Wales Police.
4. Cheshire did not record ARV operations for 2009/10.
5. Cleveland did not record ARV operations for 2011/12.
6. Revised figures supplied for 2011/12 by Metropolitan Police Service.
7. Revised figures supplied for 2006/7 to 2011/12 by West Yorkshire Police.
8. Revised figures supplied for 2010/11 to 2011/12 by South Wales Police.
9. Revised firearms discharge figure for 2010/11.
Source: Home Office Public Order Unit, based on information aggregated from figures provided by individual police forces as part of the Home Office annual data requirement. This was followed by a further quality assurance process involving the Home Office asking individual forces to verify and sign off their figures.
The information provided is a regular annual update of figures previously published and available on the Home Office website here:
http://tna.europarchive.org/20100419081706/http:/www.police.homeoffice.gov.uk/operational-policing/firearms/index.html.
Home Office guidance to forces for providing these figures is contained within the booklet “Annual Data Requirement, Police Personnel and Performance Data, Notes for Guidance”. For the purpose of this statistical return AFOs are deemed to be deployed when “they are required to conduct a specific task during which their possession of a firearm (with appropriate authorisation) is a required element” (Chapter 3, paragraph 3.1 “ACPO Manual of Guidance on Police Use of Firearms”).
In addition to the total number of operations, a further sub-category is required regarding those operations where the initial or sole response is by armed response vehicle (ARV).
Each incident will be classed as only one operation regardless of the number of personnel/deployments or tactics employed to deal with the incident.
Deployments also include those incidents where AFOs “self-authorise”.
The number of officers authorised to use firearms is at 31 March 2013.