§
Mr. Maclean
In December 1995, there were nearly one quarter more officers on the strength of the Metropolitan police than in 1979. Police time on patrol is up by over one third compared with 1984, when such records began. Civilian strength has increased by almost one tenth since 1979 and over 2,600 posts previously filled by police officers have been civilianised. The more detailed information requested is given in tables I to III.
| Table 1: Strength, Metropolitan police1 |
|
At 31 March |
At 31 December |
| Year |
Officers |
Constables |
Officers |
Constables |
| 1979 |
22,168 |
16,247 |
22,482 |
16,542 |
| 1980 |
22,757 |
16,811 |
23,562 |
17,618 |
| 1981 |
24,020 |
18,076 |
25,029 |
19,055 |
| 1982 |
25,384 |
19,406 |
26,225 |
20,022 |
| 1983 |
26,453 |
20,279 |
26,683 |
20,321 |
| 1984 |
26,660 |
20,250 |
26,718 |
20,125 |
| 1985 |
26,706 |
20,102 |
26,659 |
19,886 |
| 1986 |
26,762 |
19,971 |
26,861 |
20,048 |
| 1987 |
26,829 |
20,058 |
27,293 |
20,621 |
| 1988 |
27,627 |
21,004 |
27,855 |
21,282 |
| 1989 |
27,988 |
21,439 |
28,101 |
21,411 |
| 1990 |
28,287 |
21,575 |
28,152 |
21,274 |
| 1991 |
28,230 |
21,271 |
28,126 |
21,026 |
| 1992 |
28,154 |
20,990 |
27,812 |
20,738 |
| 1993 |
27,867 |
20,815 |
27,605 |
20,803 |
415W
| Table 1: Strength, Metropolitan police1 |
|
At 31 March |
At 31 December |
| Year |
Officers |
Constables |
Officers |
Constables |
| 1994 |
27,699 |
20,975 |
27,611 |
21,139 |
| 1995 |
27,480 |
21,179 |
227,719 |
221,378 |
| 1 With the exception of the figures for December 1995 (see note 2) all the figures given are as published in the Home Office summary of police manpower, copies of which are placed in the Library of the House. They include officers seconded to the Met but not officers seconded out to regional crime squads and central service. |
| 2 Figures for 31 December 1995 are as notified by the Metropolitan police; Home Office figures are not yet available. |
| Table 2: Deployment of officers on street duties |
|
Street duty mandays |
Percentage of overall1 mandays |
| 1984 |
1,254,105 |
27.42 |
| 1985 |
1,434,639 |
29.69 |
| 1986 |
1,339,990 |
28.81 |
| 1987 |
1,452,359 |
30.66 |
| 1988 |
1,579,767 |
31.12 |
| 1989 |
1,619,137 |
31.77 |
| 1990 |
1,561,988 |
31.95 |
| 1991 |
1,492,781 |
31.75 |
| 1992 |
1,493,018 |
32.29 |
| 1993 |
1,610,045 |
34.64 |
| 1994 |
1,678,228 |
34.86 |
| 1995 |
21,285,436 |
35.03 |
| 1 Source: Metropolitan Police. Percentages based on figures for the full 12 months period in each case except 1995 (see footnote 2). |
| 2 Figure given is for January to September 1995; final figures for 1995 are not yet available. |
| Table 3: Strength, Metropolitan police civilian staff |
| Year |
At 31 March |
At 31 December |
| 1979 |
— |
15,653 |
| 1980 |
— |
16,965 |
| 1981 |
— |
16,711 |
| 1982 |
— |
16,618 |
| 1983 |
— |
16,542 |
| 1984 |
— |
16,582 |
| 1985 |
*16,134 |
16,443 |
| 1986 |
*16,067 |
16,521 |
| 1987 |
*16,115 |
16,360 |
| 1988 |
*15,639 |
15,884 |
| 1989 |
*15,503 |
15,900 |
| 1990 |
*15,659 |
16,720 |
| 1991 |
*16,485 |
*16,939 |
| 1992 |
17,562 |
*17,438 |
| 1993 |
18,051 |
*17,380 |
| 1994 |
17,769 |
*16,855 |
| 1995 |
17,348 |
*16,928 |
| 1 Figures for Metropolitan police civilian staff are published in the annual reports of the Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis. They include traffic wardens and school crossing patrols. From 1992 the figures have been published as at 31 March, not 31 December. Figures marked * are additional unpublished Metropolitan police data; no figures at 31 March are available for the years prior to 1985. |