§ Simon HughesTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many special constables there were in each London borough on 1 January of each of the last six years. [153076]
§ Ms BlearsThere are no statistics published centrally on the number of Special Constables at local authority level or by Basic Command Unit. Statistics relating to the total number of Special Constables in the City of London and the Metropolitan Police District are given in the table.
Special Constable strength Strength as at 31 March London, City of Metropolitan police Total 1998 76 1,282 1,358 1999 64 1,138 1,202 2000 56 758 814 2001 43 774 817 2002 36 680 716 2003 42 692 734 All forces have been given funding for dedicated staff and initiatives to help implement good practice and recruit more Special Constables over the next 2–3 years. We are also running a national recruitment campaign, including television advertisements, starting on the 9 February, to coincide with the 2 National Specials Weekend on the 28–29 February.