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Police: Community Support Officers

Volume 685: debated on Monday 9 October 2006

asked Her Majesty's Government:

How many police community support officers are currently deployed by each police force across the United Kingdom.[HL7255]

Information on community support officer (CSO) numbers on 31 March 2006 was published on 26 July 2006 as part of the Home Office Statistical Bulletin, Police Service Strength, England and Wales (no.13/06) at www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/pdfs06/hosbl306.pdf . A table of CSO strength in each force is below. There is no statutory basis for community support officers outside England and Wales.

Community Support Officers – Strength 31 March 2006

Govt. Office Region

Police Force

Strength

31.3.06

fte

North East

296

Cleveland

100

Durham

67

Northumbria

129

North West

723

Cheshire

75

Cumbria

17

Gtr Manchester

251

Lancashire

184

Merseyside

196

Yorkshire and the Humber

674

Humberside

20

North Yorkshire

71

South Yorkshire

121

West Yorkshire

462

East Midlands

408

Derbyshire

42

Leicestershire

136

Lincolnshire

78

Northamptonshire

40

Nottinghamshire

112

West Midlands

471

Staffordshire

70

Warwickshire

64

West Mercia

85

West Midlands

252

Eastern

568

Bedfordshire

41

Cambridgeshire

101

Essex

192

Hertfordshire

139

Norfolk

65

Suffolk

30

London

2326

City of London

11

Metropolitan Police

2315

South East

640

Hampshire

30

Kent

97

Surrey

126

Sussex

257

Thames Valley

130

South West

265

Avon & Somerset

130

Devon & Cornwall

74

Dorset

61

Gloucestershire

72

Wiltshire

57

Wales

271

Dyfed Powys

26

Gwent

76

North Wales

58

South Wales

111

England and Wales

6769

Notes: Because of rounding, constituent parts may not necessarily sum to the totals.

asked Her Majesty's Government:

How many police community support officers are currently deployed without full security vetting by each police force in the United Kingdom.[HL7256]

The Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO) has issued guidance applying the ACPO vetting policy to PCSOs on the same basis as for police officers. Information is not held centrally on the application of this policy.