HC Deb 24 July 2002 vol 389 c1472W

Figures for police numbers and spending are available nationally and for the Cleveland Authority. They are not available for individual councils or parliamentary constituencies.

On 31 January this year there were 128,748 police officers in England and Wales, a record number and 4,578 more than in March 2000. Spending by the police has increased by £1.27 billion (+ 17.9 per cent.) since 1997 to £8.361 billion in 2002–03.

Between March 2000 and January 2002 police numbers in the Cleveland Police increased by 33 to 1,437. The increase in numbers has been made possible by the extra recruits allocated to the Cleveland Police under the Crime Fighting Fund over the three years to March 2003. Cleveland Police has been allocated a total of 74 Crime Fighting Fund recruits. 20 were recruited in 2000–01 and 36 were recruited in 2001–02. The force is expected to take on a further 18 Crime Fighting Fund recruits in 2002–03. Spending on policing by the Cleveland Police Authority has increased by 24 per cent. (+ £18.57 million) since 1997 and now totals £95.13 million for 2002–03.