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About Scottish Police

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This site aims to keep you updated on matters relating to, and the actions of, the police in Scotland.

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Most police powers and functions are devolved to the Scottish Parliament. Areas for which legislative responsibility remains with the UK Government include national security, terrorism, firearms and drugs.

A tripartite arrangement exists for the accountability for the police service in Scotland. Scottish Ministers retain overall responsibility for policing policy. Police Authorities and Joint Police Boards are responsible for setting police budgets and ensuring that best value is attained for the public purse. Chief Constables are responsible for the operational aspects of policing within their force areas.

Individual forces are funded in part by grant paid directly by Scottish Ministers and in part by a local authority’s revenue support grant, non-domestic rate income, and the council tax. Capital expenditure is met through borrowing. The police authority or joint board agrees the budget and resources for each force but decisions on the allocation of resources to meet operational requirements are a matter for each Chief Constable.

In addition to the 8 Scottish police forces, there are a number of common police services used by all forces including the Scottish Police College and the Scottish Criminal Record Office. A collaborative agreement signed by all 8 Chief Constables and Police Authority Convenors exists for the national operation of the Scottish Drug Enforcement Agency.

* There were 17,278 police officers (full-time equivalent) in Scotland on 30 June 2009, the highest level ever recorded.
* This total includes 16,684 police officers deployed in the eight Scottish Police Forces (including Additional Regular Police), and 594 on secondment or central service.
* Police officer numbers have increased by 230 full-time equivalent ( FTE) officers (+1.4%) in the last quarter, from 31 March 2009, and by 940 (+5.8%) in the last year, from 30 June 2008.

Table 1 – Number of Police Officers (Full-time Equivalent) in Scotland 1 by Police Force and Deployment 2, 30 June 2009

Deployment 2 Central Scotland
Police
Dumfries and Galloway
Constabulary
Fife
Constabulary
Grampian
Police
Police Officers in force 795 458 1,054 1,477
Additional Regular Police 2 42 0 10
Central Service 1 11 8 12
SCDEA/ SPSA 27 4 5 25
Secondments 16 2 11 8
Total 3 840 517 1,078 1,532
Deployment 2 Lothian and Borders
Police
Northern
Constabulary
Strathclyde
Police
Tayside
Police
Scotland 3
Police Officers in force 2,793 769 8,048 1,146 16,539
Additional Regular Police 36 0 39 15 145
Central Service 46 1 149 2 230
SCDEA/ SPSA 64 7 153 19 304
Secondments 15 0 0 9 61
Total 3 2,954 777 8,390 1,191 17,278

1. All figures are expressed in terms of full-time equivalent ( FTE) police officers, rounded to the nearest whole number.
2. For defintions of the deployment categories, see Note 2.
3. Scotland and force totals may not equal the sum of the parts due to rounding.

Table 2 – Number of Police Officers (Full-time Equivalent) in Scotland 1,2 by Police Force, 2003-09

Quarter 3,4 Central Scotland
Police
Dumfries and Galloway
Constabulary
Fife
Constabulary
Grampian
Police
Lothian and Borders
Police
Q3 2003 745 481 945 1,280 2,708
Q4 2003 756 486 956 1,311 2,717
Q1 2004 760 489 980 1,338 2,748
Q2 2004 765 480 986 1,353 2,766
Q3 2004 777 474 988 1,358 2,771
Q4 2004 795 478 987 1,373 2,785
Q1 2005 832 480 996 1,354 2,803
Q2 2005 824 481 1,005 1,382 2,793
Q3 2005 830 477 1,001 1,372 2,808
Q4 2005 827 496 1,022 1,368 2,823
Q1 2006 883 505 1,037 1,352 2,818
Q2 2006 883 497 1,041 1,351 2,813
Q3 2006 865 500 1,036 1,407 2,791
Q4 2006 865 496 1,035 1,400 2,783
Q1 2007 828 497 1,059 1,374 2,793
Q2 2007 825 496 1,057 1,410 2,799
Q3 2007 826 499 1,064 1,418 2,809
Q4 2007 815 502 1,059 1,440 2,829
Q1 2008 832 510 1,061 1,470 2,836
Q2 2008 836 516 1,058 1,466 2,868
Q3 2008 852 518 1,063 1,473 2,869
Q4 2008 836 517 1,066 1,483 2,891
Q1 2009 842 519 1,074 1,513 2,928
Q2 2009 840 517 1,078 1,532 2,954
Quarter 3,4 Northern
Constabulary
Strathclyde
Police
Tayside
Police
Scotland 5
Q3 2003 671 7,404 1,151 15,385
Q4 2003 676 7,431 1,150 15,483
Q1 2004 683 7,430 1,156 15,583
Q2 2004 698 7,517 1,148 15,714
Q3 2004 692 7,527 1,154 15,741
Q4 2004 705 7,615 1,169 15,908
Q1 2005 702 7,668 1,166 16,001
Q2 2005 710 7,679 1,163 16,036
Q3 2005 709 7,703 1,164 16,063
Q4 2005 704 7,769 1,155 16,164
Q1 2006 699 7,767 1,159 16,221
Q2 2006 698 7,788 1,156 16,226
Q3 2006 716 7,770 1,175 16,261
Q4 2006 697 7,782 1,173 16,230
Q1 2007 707 7,822 1,154 16,234
Q2 2007 707 7,804 1,167 16,265
Q3 2007 719 7,800 1,172 16,306
Q4 2007 713 7,735 1,174 16,267
Q1 2008 724 7,619 1,169 16,221
Q2 2008 732 7,687 1,175 16,339
Q3 2008 742 7,824 1,185 16,526
Q4 2008 747 7,955 1,180 16,675
Q1 2009 772 8,204 1,197 17,048
Q2 2009 777 8,390 1,191 17,278

1. All figures are expressed in terms of full-time equivalent ( FTE) police officers, rounded to the nearest whole number.
2. Figures include all police officers employed by the force, including those on SPC training, secondment, central service, long-term sick leave and maternity/adoption leave, but excluding those on career breaks.
3. Figures are as at the end of the respective quarter – Q1 = 31 March, Q2 = 30 June, Q3 = 30 September and Q4 = 31 December.
4. Full-time equivalent figures have only been available from September 2003.
5. Scotland totals may not equal the sum of the parts due to rounding.

Statistics from Scottish Goverment