Wildlife: Crime

Bill Wiggin
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many full-time wildlife crime officers there were in each police force in each year since 1997, broken down by rank; and if she will make a statement.

Mr. Coaker
The requested information on the number of full-time wildlife crime officer, is not collected centrally.

Decisions on how wildlife crime is addressed, including decisions on resources and staffing, are matters for the police service. These decisions will be made by the chief constable in the light of the competing demands on the force and the priorities of the local communities.

The work of wildlife crime officers in forces is supported by a National Wildlife Crime Unit, which covers both England and Scotland; and the Home Office has recently announced that it will be providing funding for each of the next three years to support the work of this unit.