§ Mr. BakerTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what was the number of(a) police officers and (b) police constables in Sussex police on (i) 1 May 1997 and (ii) the most recent date for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement. [134432]
§ Mr. Charles ClarkeInformation on police numbers is collected twice a year, in March and September. The September 2000 figures will be published as soon as they have been received from all forces and validated.
The information on the Sussex police is set out in the table.
Sussex police 31 March 1997 31 March 2000 Total number of police officers 3,085 2,822 Total number of constables 2,374 2,140 The reduction in police numbers during this period has been predominately due to the Chief Constable's decision to replace police officers in jobs that can be more 214W effectively undertaken by civilian staff. Civilian staff numbers in March 2000 were 1,326—an increase of 179 since March 1997.