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Police number statistics
01/09/2009
Justice Secretary Kenny MacAskill today welcomed figures showing that there are now 17,278 police officers in Scotland, the 'highest number ever on record'.
This means that the Scottish Government has reached its target of having 1,000 more police officers in Scotland compared to the 16,234 officers when it came to power.
The total of 17,278 is an increase of 230 (+1.4 per cent) compared to the previous quarter and an increase of 1,044 (+6.4 per cent) since March 2007.
The latest quarterly increase includes 19 more officers in the Grampian force, 26 in Lothian and Borders and 186 in Strathclyde.
Welcoming the latest figures, Kenny MacAskill said:
"The Scottish Government has pledged to deliver a more visible policing presence and that is why we committed to increase the number of police officers by 1,000 by the end of this Parliament.
"The fact that this target has already been reached shows our determination to provide our police forces with the capability and resources to deter crime and police our communities.
"This continuing increase is in part the result of our direct recruitment of new officers, over and above the recruitment plans of our police forces. We are also working with forces on retention and redeployment of officers.
"Our Chief Constables should be congratulated for redeploying their officers and delivering more police on our streets as this Government delivers record numbers to our police forces.
"The Scottish Police College is also a vital cog in this operation and deserves recognition for the fantastic job it is doing in sustaining an exceptionally high number of trainees. Through its work it is making sure that all new police recruits get the skills and training they need to serve as officers in Scotland's police service.
"The key to the police service's ability to respond is not just its size, but its capacity. The right people, with the right skills, in the right place, at the right time. That's why this Government is focussing on building the capacity of the police service in Scotland - not just the numbers."
The Finance Secretary announced on January 31, 2008 an extra £40 million would be made available over the next three years for policing. This is in addition to the £54 million which was announced in November 2007. This will result in the recruitment of 1,000 additional officers by the end of March 2011.