§ Mr. BeithTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many police officers there were in each police force on (i) the last day for which figures are available, (ii) 31 March 1998, (iii) 30 September 1997, (iv) 31 March 1997 and (v) 31 March 1992; if he will give the figures in total and per head of population; and if he will make a statement. [63672]
§ Mr. BoatengThe latest available information is set out in the tables. Police strength figures as at 30 September 1998 are provisional and have yet to be validated.
The population figures are those provided by the Office for National Statistics. Information on the numbers of population per police officer is based on the population figures as at mid-June preceding the date of the police strength figures. For 30 September, the population figures used are those for mid 1997; mid 1998 figures will not be available until next year. 739W
Total police force strength, by force area Police force 31 March 1992 31 March 1997 30 September 1997 31 March 1998 30 September 1998 Avon & Somerset 3,080 2,989 2,973 2,976 2,966 Bedfordshire 1,082 1,094 1,081 1,079 1,051 Cambridgeshire 1,243 1,302 1,292 1,291 1,286 Cheshire 1,879 2,046 2,029 2,042 2,055 City of London 804 859 836 825 793 Cleveland 1,481 1,459 1,481 1,483 1,453 Cumbria 1,184 1,144 1,162 1,164 1,153 Derbyshire 1,690 1,791 1,757 1,772 1,769 Devon & Cornwall 2,887 2,865 2,910 2,962 2,918 Dorset 1,273 1,284 1,279 1,310 1,293 Durham 1,380 1,461 1,479 1,515 1,559 Dyfed-Powys 942 1,005 1,008 1,002 1,013 Essex 2,893 2,961 2,944 2,929 2,903 Gloucestershire 1,178 1,133 1,107 1,104 1,091 Greater Manchester 7,040 6,922 6,908 6,949 6,890 Gwent 1,005 1,243 1,229 1,233 1,254 Hampshire 3,197 3,452 3,481 3,490 3,490 Hertfordshire 1,694 1,759 1,738 1,740 1,706 Humberside 2,023 2,045 2,030 2,021 2,003 Kent 3,068 3,260 3,301 3,251 3,200 Lancashire 3,196 3,248 3,281 3,257 3,245 Leicestershire 1,843 1,949 1,958 1,983 1,975 Lincolnshire 1,199 1,196 1,189 1,191 1,159 Merseyside 4,612 4,230 4,223 4,216 4,270 Metropolitan Police 28,143 26,677 26,391 26,094 26,106 Norfolk 1,425 1,432 1,440 1,430 1,410 Northamptonshire 1,163 1,177 1,181 1,169 1,162 Northumbria 3,463 3,677 3,689 3,769 3,802 North Wales 1,352 1,369 1,371 1,396 1,395 North Yorkshire 1,391 1,338 1,383 1,367 1,360 Nottinghamshire 2,330 2,323 2,317 2,323 2,269 South Wales 3,156 2,976 2,990 2,986 2,946 South Yorkshire 3,012 3,159 3,158 3,182 3,171 Staffordshire 2,169 2,211 2,230 2,292 2,271 Suffolk 1,209 1,180 1,198 1,186 1,180 Surrey 1,703 1,620 1,608 1,608 1,615 Sussex 2,984 3,085 3,040 3,038 2,924 Thames Valley 3,742 3,695 3,705 3,776 3,790 Warwickshire 995 926 914 924 924 West Mercia 2,038 2,040 2,031 2,010 2,024 West Midlands 6,927 7,113 7,079 7,156 7,215 West Yorkshire 5,111 5,209 5,250 5,155 5,066 Wiltshire 1,216 1,154 1,167 1,156 1,148 England 118,947 118,459 118,218 118,181 117,663 Wales 6,455 6,592 6,597 6,617 6,608 E & W (excl. Met) 97,259 98,374 98,424 98,704 98,165 England & Wales 125.402 125,052 124,815 124,798 124,271 740W 741W
Head of population per police officer, by force area Police force 31 March 1992 31 March 1997 30 September 1997 31 March 1998 30 September 1998 Avon & Somerset 465 491 497 497 498 Bedfordshire 494 502 511 512 526 Cambridgeshire 539 540 551 552 554 Cheshire 515 479 484 481 478 City of London 5 6 6 6 7 Cleveland 377 382 375 375 382 Cumbria 414 429 424 423 427 Derbyshire 556 537 550 545 546 Devon & Cornwall 525 539 533 524 432 Dorset 521 531 538 525 532 Durham 438 416 411 402 390 Dyfed-Powys 499 475 474 477 472 Essex 511 511 517 520 525 Gloucestershire 458 491 505 507 513 Greater Manchester 364 372 395 392 396 Gwent 445 447 453 452 444
Head of population per police officer, by force area Police force 31 March 1992 31 March 1997 30 September 1997 31 March 1998 30 September 1998 Hampshire 533 508 506 505 505 Hertfordshire 498 491 501 501 511 Humberside 432 434 436 438 442 Kent 502 478 474 482 489 Lancashire 441 439 434 438 439 Leicestershire 483 476 475 468 471 Lincolnshire 495 515 521 520 534 Merseyside 312 336 298 299 295 Metropolitan Police 259 284 289 292 292 Norfolk 533 543 544 548 556 Northamptonshire 505 514 517 522 525 Northumbria 414 390 388 379 376 North Wales 484 479 479 470 470 North Yorkshire 518 549 534 540 542 Nottinghamshire 436 444 445 444 455 South Wales 417 414 413 414 420 South Yorkshire 429 413 413 410 411 Staffordshire 483 477 475 463 467 Suffolk 548 561 556 562 565 Surrey 451 480 488 488 486 Sussex 479 477 489 490 509 Thames Valley 527 559 563 552 550 Warwickshire 492 541 551 545 545 West Mercia 539 548 554 560 556 West Midlands 378 372 372 368 365 West Yorkshire 404 405 402 409 417 Wiltshire 473 514 514 518 522 England 404 414 417 417 419 Wales 447 443 444 442 443 E & W (excl. Met) 449 452 453 452 454 England & Wales 406 416 418 418 420