National statistics

Police workforce, England and Wales: 30 September 2022

Published 25 January 2023

Applies to England and Wales

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This publication is available at https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/police-workforce-england-and-wales-30-september-2022/police-workforce-england-and-wales-30-september-2022

Frequency of release: Biannual

Forthcoming releases: Home Office statistics release calendar

Home Office responsible statistician: Jodie Hargreaves

Press enquiries: pressoffice@homeoffice.gov.uk

Telephone: 0300 123 3535

Public enquiries: policingstatistics@homeoffice.gov.uk

Privacy information notice

Introduction

This release is a mid-year update of the Police workforce, England and Wales publication series, containing information on police workers (covering both officers and staff) in post on 30 September 2022.

A statistical bulletin on ‘Police officer uplift’ has also been published on the same day. That release provides provisional information on progress with the recruitment of an additional 20,000 police officers in England and Wales as at 31 December 2022. Officers recruited under the uplift programme up to 30 September 2022 are included within the full-time equivalent (FTE) and headcount figures for police officers in this statistical bulletin.

Key findings

  • as at 30 September 2022, the total police workforce size was 227,649 FTE, an increase of 2.1% on the previous year

This includes:

  • 142,145 FTE police officers (up 3.3% on last year)
  • 77,242 FTE police staff and designated officers (up 1.3% on last year)
  • 8,263 FTE PCSOs (down 9.4% on last year)

Figure 1: Number of police officers as at 30 September 2006 to 2022, England and Wales

The chart shows that between March 2010 and September 2017, the number of officers in England and Wales was declining. Between March 2018 and September 2018 officer numbers were stable, and there have been increases in officer numbers in each of the 6 months since. The latest figure, as at September 2022 (142,145), is 1,917 FTE officers greater than in March 2022 (140,228).

Recent increases in police officer numbers have been in line with the Government commitment to recruit an additional 20,000 police officers in England and Wales by 31 March 2023, announced in September 2019.

1. Introduction

1.1 General introduction

This release is a mid-year update of the Police workforce, England and Wales publication series. It contains statistics on the numbers of police officers, police staff and designated officers[footnote 1], Police Community Support Officers (PCSOs), special constables and police support volunteers (PSVs)[footnote 2] in post on 30 September 2022. The statistics cover all the 43 territorial police forces in England and Wales. Though data for the British Transport Police and the National Crime Agency (NCA) are largely excluded from analysis within this report, their data can be found in the accompanying data tables.

Unless otherwise stated, total workforce figures quoted in the bulletin include those on career breaks or other forms of long-term absence, as well as those seconded into police forces from other forces or central services (for example, the Home Office, the National Crime Agency). It excludes those seconded out from forces to central services. The headline workforce figures in this release are all presented on a FTE basis unless indicated otherwise. The accompanying data tables provide the same information on a headcount basis.

The User Guide to Police Workforce Statistics contains further information, including a glossary, conventions used, and other background information. It contains further information on the quality and limitations of the various datasets, and the ways in which the Home Office engages with users of the statistics.

1.2 National Statistics status

The Office for Statistics Regulation (the regulatory arm of the UK Statistics Authority) has confirmed the continued designation of these statistics as National Statistics. This means that these statistics meet the highest standards of trustworthiness, impartiality, quality and public value, and are fully compliant with the Code of Practice for Statistics.

2. Police workforce, as at 30 September 2022

This release is a mid-year update of the Police workforce, England and Wales publication series, containing information on police workers (officers and staff) in post on 30 September 2022 in England and Wales. While this bulletin contains information on all workers as at 30 September 2022, a second statistical bulletin on ‘Police officer uplift’ has also been published on the same day. That release provides provisional information on progress (as at end December 2022) with the recruitment of an additional 20,000 police officers in England and Wales by the end of March 2023.

There were 227,649 workers (FTE) employed by the 43 territorial police forces in England and Wales on 30 September 2022, an increase of 4,731 (2.1%) compared with 12 months earlier (at September 2021), and up 2,421 (1.1%) with 6 months earlier (at March 2022). The size of the workforce has been increasing over the last 5 years, from 198,378 as at 30 September 2017, to 227,649 as at 30 September 2022.

There were increases in both the number of FTE police officers (up 3.3% since 30 September 2021) and police staff and designated officers (up 1.3% over same the period). Meanwhile decreases were seen in both the number of PCSOs (down 9.4%) and special constables (down 11.9% on a headcount basis). There was a 0.6% fall in the number (headcount) of PSVs.

Table 2.1: Police workforce as at 30 September 2021, 31 March 2022, and 30 September 2022, England and Wales

As at 30 September 2021 As at 31 March 2022 As at 30 September 2022 Change in 12 months September 2021 to September 2022 (number) Change in 12 months September 2021 to September 2022 (%) Change in 6 months March 2022 to September 2022 (number) Change in 6 months March 2022 to September 2022 (%)
Police officers 137,582 140,228 142,145 4,563 3.3% 1,917 1.4%
Police staff and designated officers 76,214 76,250 77,242 1,028 1.3% 991 1.3%
PCSOs 9,123 8,750 8,263 -860 -9.4% -488 -5.6%
Total workforce 222,918 225,229 227,649 4,731 2.1% 2,421 1.1%
Special constables (headcount) 8,901 8,545 7,840 -1,061 -11.9% -705 -8.3%
PSVs (headcount) 8,129 7,981 8,077 -52 -0.6% 96 1.2%

Source: Workforce data tables

Notes:

  1. Designated officers and police staff have been combined as some forces are unable to provide data on designated officers separately.
  2. Special constables and PSVs do not have contracted working hours so their numbers are provided on a headcount basis rather than FTE.

2.1 Police officers

As at 30 September 2022, there were 142,145 FTE police officers in the 43 territorial police forces in England and Wales. This was an increase of 1.4% (1,917 officers) since March 2022 when there were 140,228 officers and an increase of 3.3% (4,563 officers) from the 137,582 police officers in September 2021. This reflects the ongoing recruitment campaign to recruit an additional 20,000 (headcount) officers by March 2023. Further details on this recruitment drive are available in the ‘Police officer uplift’ statistical series.

In addition to officers working in the 43 territorial police forces, the British Transport Police employed 2,986 FTE police officers (down from 3,113 in September 2021), and the National Crime Agency (NCA) employed 5,257 FTE officers (down from 5,359 in September 2021). It should be noted that NCA officers are defined on a different basis than the territorial forces and the BTP, since they include both those warranted with the powers of a police constable or other powers, as well as non-warranted officers (civilians involved in the investigation of serious and organised crime). There were also a further 335 police officers seconded out to central services[footnote 3] as at 30 September 2022.

Figure 2.1 shows the long-term trend in police officer numbers in the territorial police forces.

Figure 2.1: Number of police officers as at 30 September 2006 to 2022, England and Wales

Source: Workforce Table 4

Notes:

  1. Excludes BTP and secondments to central services.

The chart shows that police officer numbers peaked in September 2009, at 144,353 FTE officers. Between 2009 and 2017 there was a general downward trend, and officer numbers reached a low-point in September 2017 (at 121,929 officers). In the last 5 years the previous downward trend has reversed, however, the number of officers as at 30 September 2022 remains 2,208 FTE (1.5%) below the peak of 144,353 FTE officers in September 2009.

On 5 September 2019 the Prime Minister announced the Government commitment to recruit an additional 20,000 police officers in England and Wales by 31 March 2023. In the years following this announcement (between 30 September 2019 and 30 September 2022), the number of FTE police officers across the 43 territorial police forces in England and Wales rose by 17,361 (13.9%). The increase in the last 3 years accounts for over 86% of the total increase since the low-point in 2017. Figure 2.2 shows the change in the number of police officers as at 30 March 2007 to 30 September 2022, compared with the previous 6 months.

Figure 2.2: Change in the number of police officers as at 30 March 2007 to 30 September 2022, compared with the previous 6 months, England and Wales

Source: Workforce Table 4

Notes:

  1. Excludes BTP and secondments to central services.

The statistics in this release show long term trends and comparisons with previous years. It should be noted that percentage changes in the number of police officers cited in this bulletin may differ from those in the companion ‘Police officer uplift’ release. This is because, firstly, the headline measures in this bulletin are based on FTE rather than headcount. Secondly, it is because percentage changes cited in this bulletin are based on all officers employed by forces at a given point in time (for example as at 30 September 2022 compared with as at 30 September 2021) whereas those in the ‘Police officer uplift’ series uses an adjusted baseline. Further details on uplift recruitment are available in the ‘Police officer uplift’ bulletin.

2.2 Other worker types

Between September 2021 and September 2022, the number of police staff and designated officers increased by 1,028 (1.3%) from 76,214 to 77,242 FTE. In general, staff and designated officer numbers have followed a similar trend to police officer numbers over the past decade, with falls between 2009 and the low-point in September 2016 (64,785 staff and designated officers), before increasing in each year since. In the latest year, PCSO numbers have fallen by 860 (9.4%) from 9,123 to 8,263 FTE. PCSOs peaked at 16,814 in September 2009 and have been falling since, as seen in figure 2.3.

Figure 2.3: Number of police officers, police staff and designated officers, and PCSOs, as at 30 September 2006 to 2022, England and Wales

Source: Workforce Table 4

Notes:

  1. Designated officers and police staff have been combined as some forces are unable to provide data on designated officers separately.

Further data, including police officer and staff numbers on a headcount basis can be found in the data tables published alongside these statistics.

  1. Designated officers are police staff (who are not police officers) employed to exercise specific powers that would otherwise only be available to police officers. ↩

  2. Individuals who by choice put their time, experience, knowledge and skills at the disposal of the force without expectation of compensation or financial rewards, except for the payment of pre-determined out of pocket expenses. ↩

  3. Secondments to central services are secondments to central government, for example the Home Office, HM Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services (HMICFRS), or the National Crime Agency (NCA). ↩

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