Police Officer Quarterly Strength Statistics Scotland, 30 September 2016

Police officer numbers are 1,011 higher than at 31 March 2007.

Scotland’s Chief Statistician today published statistics on Police Officer Quarterly Strength, which gives the number of full-time equivalent police officers employed by Police Scotland.

The key findings of the statistics are:

• There were 17,245 full-time equivalent (FTE) police officers in Scotland on 30 September 2016.
• This is an increase of 1,011 FTE police officers (+6.2%) from the 16,234 FTE police officers recorded at 31 March 2007.
• Police officer numbers have increased by 3 FTE officers in the last quarter from 30 June 2016, and have decreased by 16 FTE officers (-0.1%) in the last year from 30 September 2015.

The figures released today were produced by professionally independent statistical staff free from any political interference, in accordance with professional standards set out in the Code of Practice for Official Statistics.

Background

The full statistical publication can be accessed at:

http://www.gov.scot/Topics/Statistics/Browse/Crime-Justice/PublicationPoliceStrength/POQS2016Q3

The quarterly bulletin reports the number of police officers employed by Police Scotland as at 30 September 2016, compared against the 31 March 2007 baseline of 16,234.

Further information on Crime and Justice statistics can be accessed at: http://www.gov.scot/Topics/Statistics/Browse/Crime-Justice/Publications

Official statistics are produced by professionally independent statistical staff – more information on the standards of official statistics in Scotland can be accessed at:

http://www.gov.scot/Topics/Statistics/About