ACPO responds to the latest release of the Police Service Strength Statistics for England and Wales as of 30 September 2010
ACPO lead for workforce development, Chief Constable Peter Fahy, said:
“With recruitment frozen across most police forces and officers continuing to retire or leave the service, it is inevitable that police officer numbers will decline over the coming four years. The challenge is to maintain those parts of the service which are most valued by the public while reducing bureaucracy and unproductive activity.
"This has to be a debate not about officer numbers but about what officers spend their time doing and the overall impact of funding reductions on public confidence in policing. The way policing is organised and delivered will have to change significantly as this reduction in officers takes hold."
