Police Numbers (Hansard, 24 July 2002)

§ Mr. Grieve
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many police officers there were per 1,000 population in the London area in(a) March 1997 and (b) September 2001. [27643]

§ Mr. John Denham
[holding answer 15 Junary 2002]: The figures set out in the table are form the two forces that police Greater London, the Metropolitan Police Service and City of London Police.

Year Combined strength of Metropolitan Police and City of London Police Police officers per 1,000 of population

31 March 1997 27,536 3.61

30 September 2001 26,073 3.53¹

31 January 2002² 26,618 3.61¹

¹Boundary changes on 1 April 2000 with Essex, Hertfordshire and Surrey forces reduced the population of London by around 540,000.

²These figures have not yet been validated and published by the Home Office.

§ Mr. Cox
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many(a) police officers and (b) police civilian staff are employed by the Metropolitan Police. [54199]

§ Mr. John Denham
I am told by the Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis (Sir John Stevens QPM) that on 31 January the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) had 25,878 full-time equivalent police officers which is 1,000 more than in March 2001. This is the largest increase in a single financial year in the Metropolitan Police for more than 20 years. In addition there were 10,240 civilian support staff, 93 more than in March 2001.

§ Mr. Laws
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what his estimate is of the ratio of police officers to notifiable offences in each English police force for each of the last 20 years; and if he will make a statement. [56228]

§ Mr. John Denham
[holding answer 21 May 2002]: The requested details are given in the tables. There was a change in counting rules for recorded crime on 1 April 1998, which increased the total number of crimes counted in each police force area.
1489W

The number of crimes recorded by the police per Police Officer

1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989 1990 1991

Avon and Somerset 23 23 25 27 32 34 33 33 41 50

Bedfordshire 33 33 35 36 40 41 40 40 51 52

Cambridgeshire 28 27 27 29 29 30 29 31 37 48

Cheshire 22 23 24 25 26 28 27 26 30 35

Cleveland 31 31 34 35 40 41 40 41 50 52

Cumbria 20 21 23 25 27 26 24 25 29 38

Derbyshire 27 27 28 27 27 26 24 27 34 43

Devon and Cornwall 22 22 23 25 26 27 26 27 32 38

Dorset 26 27 28 30 31 32 29 32 38 40

Durham 28 28 33 34 34 34 33 34 40 48

Essex^* 24 25 25 26 28 28 26 28 34 38

Gloucestershire 21 21 22 25 26 30 29 30 36 48

Greater Manchester 35 36 40 43 47 47 42 42 48 54

Hampshire 27 27 29 30 32 32 30 31 38 45

Hertfordshire^* 26 24 26 26 27 27 25 25 28 33

Humberside 32 31 33 39 42 45 44 46 52 59

Kent 23 23 25 26 26 27 27 28 35 46

Lancashire 24 24 25 26 29 30 31 28 34 38

Leicestershire 25 25 26 28 28 30 29 31 41 49

Lincolnshire 21 22 23 27 28 30 28 30 33 37

London, City of 8 8 9 9 10 10 8 9 9 9

Merseyside 31 31 34 34 37 36 31 29 30 32

Metropolitan Police^* 27 25 27 27 29 27 26 27 29 33

Norfolk 28 28 27 30 32 32 32 33 40 46

Northamptonshire 31 31 33 35 37 38 35 36 43 51

Northumbria 41 41 45 49 49 51 46 52 58 64

North Yorkshire 22 21 23 27 26 28 25 26 34 37

Nottinghamshire 40 38 40 42 43 44 43 46 57 64

South Yorkshire 27 28 32 30 32 33 31 32 37 42

Staffordshire 22 23 24 25 27 27 27 27 33 39

Suffolk 21 22 23 24 27 27 25 27 32 33

Surrey^* 18 18 19 19 20 20 20 21 26 30

Sussex 21 21 23 24 24 24 23 26 32 38

Thames Valley 30 30 32 33 36 34 31 34 40 50

Warwickshire 22 22 24 24 25 26 24 26 34 40

West Mercia 25 25 26 26 27 27 26 27 32 37

West Midlands 33 33 36 37 41 40 36 34 39 44

West Yorkshire 31 30 33 34 34 36 34 36 45 56

Wiltshire 24 24 26 27 27 26 24 25 30 34

^*These forces were affected by the boundary changes which took place in April 2000

The number of crimes recorded by the police per Police Officer

1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1997–98 1998–99 1999–00 2000–01

Avon and Somerset 57 57 55 51 53 48 49 50 50 50

Bedfordshire 54 50 46 45 46 43 42 47 52 48

Cambridgeshire 53 52 49 54 56 46 46 53 56 50

Cheshire 42 42 39 38 33 30 30 31 32 32

Cleveland 57 53 57 55 55 44 43 47 46 46

Cumbria 38 37 36 35 36 31 31 36 35 31

Derbyshire 52 50 47 46 45 41 42 48 48 45

Devon and Cornwall 40 42 38 36 36 33 31 38 39 35

Dorset 41 40 43 42 39 34 33 41 40 37

Durham 48 49 47 43 37 33 31 32 31 28

Essex^* 40 39 36 34 35 30 31 33 37 37

Gloucestershire 52 53 52 48 47 42 42 44 46 43

Greater Manchester 56 52 49 47 47 44 45 53 55 53

Hampshire 48 45 43 41 41 36 35 37 40 39

Hertfordshire^* 35 33 33 33 32 28 28 29 30 33

Humberside 64 69 67 63 62 59 61 66 63 58

Kent 52 51 49 50 47 38 37 40 39 39

Lancashire 41 42 40 39 39 37 36 36 34 36

Leicestershire 53 55 54 51 49 42 41 47 47 43

Lincolnshire 41 44 40 40 41 36 35 41 41 37

London, City of 8 7 6 6 6 6 6 9 11 12

Merseyside 32 30 29 33 33 30 30 33 36 35

Metropolitan Police^* 33 33 31 30 31 30 30 36 41 40

Norfolk 47 45 39 37 39 37 37 41 43 40

Northamptonshire 51 50 49 49 50 46 46 58 55 49

Northumbria 65 60 57 54 46 38 36 39 38 35

North Yorkshire 39 42 47 49 43 38 37 41 42 40

Nottinghamshire 71 68 66 65 62 55 54 61 62 61

1490W 1491W

The number of crimes recorded by the police per Police Officer

1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1997–98 1998–99 1999–00 2000–01

South Yorkshire 46 52 52 51 49 41 40 42 42 39

Staffordshire 45 45 42 41 42 41 39 41 46 49

Suffolk 37 35 33 32 33 30 30 34 38 39

Surrey^* 31 31 28 26 26 24 24 26 26 31

Sussex 40 37 36 38 38 36 37 46 48 48

Thames Valley 52 52 48 46 47 43 41 47 51 51

Warwickshire 45 45 41 38 40 39 39 42 43 40

West Mercia 39 40 41 39 41 38 37 40 45 40

West Midlands 47 47 45 45 44 39 39 43 51 49

West Yorkshire 60 60 57 56 52 47 47 55 54 54

Wiltshire 35 33 30 29 29 29 28 33 34 33

^*These forces were affected by the boundary changes which took place in April 2000

The figures in the table are calculated using the total of recorded crimes for the year in question (calendar up to 1997, and years ending March thereafter) and full-time equivalent numbers of police officers as at 31 March in that year (for years ending March, this is at the end of the year in question).

Year	Combined strength of Metropolitan Police and City of London Police	Police officers per 1,000 of population
31 March 1997	27,536	3.61
30 September 2001	26,073	3.53¹
31 January 2002²	26,618	3.61¹
¹Boundary changes on 1 April 2000 with Essex, Hertfordshire and Surrey forces reduced the population of London by around 540,000.
²These figures have not yet been validated and published by the Home Office.

The number of crimes recorded by the police per Police Officer
	1982	1983	1984	1985	1986	1987	1988	1989	1990	1991
Avon and Somerset	23	23	25	27	32	34	33	33	41	50
Bedfordshire	33	33	35	36	40	41	40	40	51	52
Cambridgeshire	28	27	27	29	29	30	29	31	37	48
Cheshire	22	23	24	25	26	28	27	26	30	35
Cleveland	31	31	34	35	40	41	40	41	50	52
Cumbria	20	21	23	25	27	26	24	25	29	38
Derbyshire	27	27	28	27	27	26	24	27	34	43
Devon and Cornwall	22	22	23	25	26	27	26	27	32	38
Dorset	26	27	28	30	31	32	29	32	38	40
Durham	28	28	33	34	34	34	33	34	40	48
Essex^*	24	25	25	26	28	28	26	28	34	38
Gloucestershire	21	21	22	25	26	30	29	30	36	48
Greater Manchester	35	36	40	43	47	47	42	42	48	54
Hampshire	27	27	29	30	32	32	30	31	38	45
Hertfordshire^*	26	24	26	26	27	27	25	25	28	33
Humberside	32	31	33	39	42	45	44	46	52	59
Kent	23	23	25	26	26	27	27	28	35	46
Lancashire	24	24	25	26	29	30	31	28	34	38
Leicestershire	25	25	26	28	28	30	29	31	41	49
Lincolnshire	21	22	23	27	28	30	28	30	33	37
London, City of	8	8	9	9	10	10	8	9	9	9
Merseyside	31	31	34	34	37	36	31	29	30	32
Metropolitan Police^*	27	25	27	27	29	27	26	27	29	33
Norfolk	28	28	27	30	32	32	32	33	40	46
Northamptonshire	31	31	33	35	37	38	35	36	43	51
Northumbria	41	41	45	49	49	51	46	52	58	64
North Yorkshire	22	21	23	27	26	28	25	26	34	37
Nottinghamshire	40	38	40	42	43	44	43	46	57	64
South Yorkshire	27	28	32	30	32	33	31	32	37	42
Staffordshire	22	23	24	25	27	27	27	27	33	39
Suffolk	21	22	23	24	27	27	25	27	32	33
Surrey^*	18	18	19	19	20	20	20	21	26	30
Sussex	21	21	23	24	24	24	23	26	32	38
Thames Valley	30	30	32	33	36	34	31	34	40	50
Warwickshire	22	22	24	24	25	26	24	26	34	40
West Mercia	25	25	26	26	27	27	26	27	32	37
West Midlands	33	33	36	37	41	40	36	34	39	44
West Yorkshire	31	30	33	34	34	36	34	36	45	56
Wiltshire	24	24	26	27	27	26	24	25	30	34
^*These forces were affected by the boundary changes which took place in April 2000

The number of crimes recorded by the police per Police Officer
	1992	1993	1994	1995	1996	1997	1997–98	1998–99	1999–00	2000–01
Avon and Somerset	57	57	55	51	53	48	49	50	50	50
Bedfordshire	54	50	46	45	46	43	42	47	52	48
Cambridgeshire	53	52	49	54	56	46	46	53	56	50
Cheshire	42	42	39	38	33	30	30	31	32	32
Cleveland	57	53	57	55	55	44	43	47	46	46
Cumbria	38	37	36	35	36	31	31	36	35	31
Derbyshire	52	50	47	46	45	41	42	48	48	45
Devon and Cornwall	40	42	38	36	36	33	31	38	39	35
Dorset	41	40	43	42	39	34	33	41	40	37
Durham	48	49	47	43	37	33	31	32	31	28
Essex^*	40	39	36	34	35	30	31	33	37	37
Gloucestershire	52	53	52	48	47	42	42	44	46	43
Greater Manchester	56	52	49	47	47	44	45	53	55	53
Hampshire	48	45	43	41	41	36	35	37	40	39
Hertfordshire^*	35	33	33	33	32	28	28	29	30	33
Humberside	64	69	67	63	62	59	61	66	63	58
Kent	52	51	49	50	47	38	37	40	39	39
Lancashire	41	42	40	39	39	37	36	36	34	36
Leicestershire	53	55	54	51	49	42	41	47	47	43
Lincolnshire	41	44	40	40	41	36	35	41	41	37
London, City of	8	7	6	6	6	6	6	9	11	12
Merseyside	32	30	29	33	33	30	30	33	36	35
Metropolitan Police^*	33	33	31	30	31	30	30	36	41	40
Norfolk	47	45	39	37	39	37	37	41	43	40
Northamptonshire	51	50	49	49	50	46	46	58	55	49
Northumbria	65	60	57	54	46	38	36	39	38	35
North Yorkshire	39	42	47	49	43	38	37	41	42	40
Nottinghamshire	71	68	66	65	62	55	54	61	62	61