Police Officer Quarterly Strength Statistics Scotland, 31 December 2018

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 17,175 full-time equivalent (FTE) police officers in Scotland on 31 December 2018.
• Police officer numbers have increased by 27 FTE officers (+0.2%) in the last quarter from 30 September 2018.
• Police officer numbers have decreased by 81 FTE officers (-0.5%) in the last year from 31 December 2017.
• This is an increase of 941 FTE police officers (+5.8%) from the 16,234 FTE police officers recorded at 31 March 2007.

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 Statistics.

Background

The full statistical publication can be accessed at:

https://www2.gov.scot/Topics/Statistics/Browse/Crime-Justice/PublicationPoliceStrength/POQS2018Q4

The quarterly bulletin reports the number of police officers employed by Police Scotland as at 31 December 2018.

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