April 16, 2009
Eight police officers serving with Scotland's largest force - Strathclyde Police - have given their official religion as Jedi in voluntary diversity forms. There is as yet no information on whether they are good Jedi Knights - such as Luke Skywalker, Obi-Wan Kenobi and Yoda - or Jedis gone bad, like the black plastic garbed heavy breather Darth Vader.
Two civilian staff members are also believers.
The details were obtained in a Freedom of Information request by Jane's Police Review. Editor Chris Herbert says: "The Force appears to be strong in Strathclyde Police with their Jedi police officers and staff.
"Far from living a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away, some members of the noble Jedi order have now chosen Glasgow and its surrounding streets as their home."
About 390,000 people listed their religion as Jedi in the 2001 Census for England and Wales. In Scotland the figure was a reported 14,000. The 'religion'even has its own church. The UK Church of the Jedi - which offered sermons on the Force, light sabre training, and meditation techniques - was founded last year by brothers Barney and Daniel Jones.
The Office for National Statistics does not recognise Jedi as a separate category, and incorporates followers of Jedi into the 'atheist' category.
Strathclyde was the only force in the UK to admit it had Jedi officers.
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