Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of the current number of police officers employed as crime prevention officers; and if she will make a statement.

The Home Secretary has been clear that all police officers have a single mission: to cut crime. However, it is for chief officers and Police and Crime Commissioners to determine how to use their available resources.

The number of police officers in England and Wales carrying out roles which support crime prevention activities (defined as officers in the community safety/relations and neighbourhoods functions categories, as at 31 March 2010 to 2014) has risen from 20,926 in 2010 to 25,098 in 2014. This represents an increase from 14.6% to 19.6% of the total officer workforce.