Small decrease in officer numbers

25 January 2019

Derbyshire is one of two forces in the East Midlands region to see a small drop in officer numbers over the last 12 months.

The Police Workforce Statistics, released by the Home Office yesterday, show that in the year to September 2018 the Force lost three officers (0.2 per cent). 

The actual total number of officers were as follows:

September 2017 – 1,740

March 2018 – 1,738

September 2018 – 1,737.

Of the four other forces in the East Midlands – Leicestershire, Lincolnshire, Northamptonshire and Nottinghamshire – the only other one to show a decrease was Leicestershire which lost seven officers in the same 12-month period. Overall the region’s numbers were up 2.2 per cent, compared to an increase nationally of just 0.4 per cent.

Tony Wetton, chair of Derbyshire Police Federation, commented: “While it is good to see that we are no longer losing officers at the rate we were when the Government’s cuts first kicked in, we are really not getting our numbers back up to the levels that we need if we are provide the public with an effective policing service.

“Forces have had to make tough decisions as they have tried to balance the books and sadly we have seen officer numbers decline, crime increase and growing public dissatisfaction due to a lack of policing presence on our streets. It’s time for a proper re-investment in policing.”

Commenting on the national statistics, John Apter, national Federation chair, said: “This isn’t a cause for celebration. This is a miniscule increase and this report does not include data about those leaving the service and does not undo the damage caused by the reduction of the thousands of officers we have lost over the last eight years.

“I would be interested to see if this minute upwards trend continues; I suspect it is merely a blip and in any case it is not enough to compete with the increasing rate of violent crime. Tackling this level of violence needs an immediate re-think and we sincerely want to work with Government to help turn this around.” 

• Looking ahead, Tony has publicly backed the Derbyshire Police and Crime Commissioner’s plans to recruit 58 police officers as part of investment funded by the proposed increase of £24 in the policing element of the council tax precept though he has argued funding should come from the central Government grant rather than through the council taxpayers. 

Police Workforce, England and Wales, 30 September 2018.