Unrest fails to arrest increase in police numbers

New figures show
that police numbers are at an all time high, despite protests over the Home
Secretary’s planned reforms.

Interim police
figures, provided by forces around the country, show the number of police
officers has risen to 128,748. The increase of 4,578 to the end of January can
be attributed to by the Government’s Crime Fighting Fund which provided cash
for an extra 9,000 officers.

Home Secretary
David Blunkett claimed the figures represented a victory for police recruitment
and said the Government would meet its target of 130,000 police officers by
next spring:

"Increasing
the number of bobbies on the beat is a key plank to our police reform agenda.
We have now decisively reversed the decline in police numbers, with numbers
rising by 1,517 since September alone," Blunkett said.

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www.homeoffice.gov.uk

By Ross Wigham