The Home Office publishes annual statistics on the total number of armed officers and operationally deployable armed officers (which excludes absences) in England and Wales in the “Police use of firearms statistics” publication. The latest data, covering the year ending 31 March 2026, can be accessed on GOV.UK (at the following link):

Police use of firearms statistics, April 2025 to March 2026 - GOV.UK

Data on the number of operationally deployable armed officers, by police force area, for the last 10 years are available in the accompanying open data tables at the link above. Data on the total number of firearms officers are available at the link above from 2021/22 and by police force area from 2022/23 only. Data on total armed officers were not collected prior to 2021/22.

The Home Office does not centrally collect data on the number of police forces using polygraph tests, the frequency of their use, or their application in specific investigation types. Police forces are operationally independent of Government, and it is for chief constables, working with locally elected Police and Crime Commissioners, to determine how best to deploy resources and operational tools.

The Home Office has commissioned research to explore the use of credibility assessment tools within offender management settings. This work identified that credibility assessment tools including polygraphs are being used in some policing and offender management contexts for risk management and intelligence-gathering, rather than evidential purposes. The research identified variation in adoption and use, as well as challenges relating to resources, training, validation and governance.

Through a focused law enforcement working group on Credibility Assessment, stakeholders from policing, the Ministry of Justice and the National Crime Agency have also discussed the need for robust validation, governance and standards surrounding the use of credibility assessment tools to ensure any wider adoption is evidence-led and consistent across organisations, helping to improve understanding of the key considerations associated with their use.

The Home Office does not centrally collect data on the number of police forces using polygraph tests, the frequency of their use, or their application in specific investigation types. Police forces are operationally independent of Government, and it is for chief constables, working with locally elected Police and Crime Commissioners, to determine how best to deploy resources and operational tools.

The Home Office has commissioned research to explore the use of credibility assessment tools within offender management settings. This work identified that credibility assessment tools including polygraphs are being used in some policing and offender management contexts for risk management and intelligence-gathering, rather than evidential purposes. The research identified variation in adoption and use, as well as challenges relating to resources, training, validation and governance.

Through a focused law enforcement working group on Credibility Assessment, stakeholders from policing, the Ministry of Justice and the National Crime Agency have also discussed the need for robust validation, governance and standards surrounding the use of credibility assessment tools to ensure any wider adoption is evidence-led and consistent across organisations, helping to improve understanding of the key considerations associated with their use.

The Home Office does not centrally collect data on the number of police forces using polygraph tests, the frequency of their use, or their application in specific investigation types. Police forces are operationally independent of Government, and it is for chief constables, working with locally elected Police and Crime Commissioners, to determine how best to deploy resources and operational tools.

The Home Office has commissioned research to explore the use of credibility assessment tools within offender management settings. This work identified that credibility assessment tools including polygraphs are being used in some policing and offender management contexts for risk management and intelligence-gathering, rather than evidential purposes. The research identified variation in adoption and use, as well as challenges relating to resources, training, validation and governance.

Through a focused law enforcement working group on Credibility Assessment, stakeholders from policing, the Ministry of Justice and the National Crime Agency have also discussed the need for robust validation, governance and standards surrounding the use of credibility assessment tools to ensure any wider adoption is evidence-led and consistent across organisations, helping to improve understanding of the key considerations associated with their use.

The Home Office does not centrally collect data on the number of police forces using polygraph tests, the frequency of their use, or their application in specific investigation types. Police forces are operationally independent of Government, and it is for chief constables, working with locally elected Police and Crime Commissioners, to determine how best to deploy resources and operational tools.

The Home Office has commissioned research to explore the use of credibility assessment tools within offender management settings. This work identified that credibility assessment tools including polygraphs are being used in some policing and offender management contexts for risk management and intelligence-gathering, rather than evidential purposes. The research identified variation in adoption and use, as well as challenges relating to resources, training, validation and governance.

Through a focused law enforcement working group on Credibility Assessment, stakeholders from policing, the Ministry of Justice and the National Crime Agency have also discussed the need for robust validation, governance and standards surrounding the use of credibility assessment tools to ensure any wider adoption is evidence-led and consistent across organisations, helping to improve understanding of the key considerations associated with their use.

The rules governing the display of advertisements are set out in the Town and Country Planning (Control of Advertisements) (England) Regulations 2007. Responsibility for application of the Regulations, including the enforcement of any breaches of control, rests with local planning authorities.

Further information on the advertisement consent regime can be found on gov.uk here.

It is essential that every member of the police workforce has the consistent support and skills they need to become leaders who can thrive and continue to deliver for the public.

As part of our police reform programme, we will strengthen police leadership by mandating national leadership standards and reforming the process for appointing Chief Constables.

The College of Policing is the professional body for policing, responsible for setting standards, promoting good practice and supporting everyone working in policing to cut crime and keep the public safe. The Home Office provides funding to the College to support its functions including developing the National Centre for Police Leadership, and there are plans to deliver greater consistency and development in police leadership across forces while respecting operational independence.

The Police Leadership Commission’s report published on 6 July will inform our wider reform programme, helping us to understand how leadership is developed and supported across policing, where barriers to progress remain and what more can be done to strengthen leadership for the future.

We intend to publish a full Government response in the autumn.

The Government does not determine which technology police forces procure or deploy. This is a matter for operationally independent Chief Constables, held accountable by directly elected Police and Crime Commissioners.

The Home Office does recognise the importance of better linking data across multiple systems and using technology to ensure improved operational outcomes. In the recent Government White Paper From Local to National: A New Model for Policing, published in January, we set out our ambitious plans for police reform. This includes launching a new National Data Integration and Exploitation Service and a new National Centre for AI in Policing (“PoliceAI”) which is investing £115 million over the next 3 years.

The Government has been working with the National Police Chiefs’ Council to produce a system which will provide forces with automated intelligence alerts from the Police National Database (PND) on individuals working in policing. The Home Office has provided £1.5m for a proof of concept and an additional approximately £2m towards development of a pilot for this work, known as ‘Continuous Integrity Screening’, which some forces are planning to run before the end of this year. The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) is also considering how it may apply AI and automation capability in its processes’

In addition, the Government provides ongoing funding to the National Police Wellbeing Service to provide support to forces and individuals, including a National Police Workforce and Wellbeing Survey. This provides evidence-based insights into wellbeing, helping forces identify patterns in welfare issues and broader organisational risks, benchmark against national findings, and inform targeted wellbeing interventions. On top of ongoing funding, the Government is providing additional funding of £2.4m this year to the National Police Wellbeing Service to increase support to forces as set out in the Police Reform White Paper, including measures to help monitor and prevent welfare issues.

The Government does not determine which technology police forces procure or deploy. This is a matter for operationally independent Chief Constables, held accountable by directly elected Police and Crime Commissioners.

The Home Office does recognise the importance of better linking data across multiple systems and using technology to ensure improved operational outcomes. In the recent Government White Paper From Local to National: A New Model for Policing, published in January, we set out our ambitious plans for police reform. This includes launching a new National Data Integration and Exploitation Service and a new National Centre for AI in Policing (“PoliceAI”) which is investing £115 million over the next 3 years.

The Government has been working with the National Police Chiefs’ Council to produce a system which will provide forces with automated intelligence alerts from the Police National Database (PND) on individuals working in policing. The Home Office has provided £1.5m for a proof of concept and an additional approximately £2m towards development of a pilot for this work, known as ‘Continuous Integrity Screening’, which some forces are planning to run before the end of this year. The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) is also considering how it may apply AI and automation capability in its processes’

In addition, the Government provides ongoing funding to the National Police Wellbeing Service to provide support to forces and individuals, including a National Police Workforce and Wellbeing Survey. This provides evidence-based insights into wellbeing, helping forces identify patterns in welfare issues and broader organisational risks, benchmark against national findings, and inform targeted wellbeing interventions. On top of ongoing funding, the Government is providing additional funding of £2.4m this year to the National Police Wellbeing Service to increase support to forces as set out in the Police Reform White Paper, including measures to help monitor and prevent welfare issues.

The Government does not determine which technology police forces procure or deploy. This is a matter for operationally independent Chief Constables, held accountable by directly elected Police and Crime Commissioners.

The Home Office does recognise the importance of better linking data across multiple systems and using technology to ensure improved operational outcomes. In the recent Government White Paper From Local to National: A New Model for Policing, published in January, we set out our ambitious plans for police reform. This includes launching a new National Data Integration and Exploitation Service and a new National Centre for AI in Policing (“PoliceAI”) which is investing £115 million over the next 3 years.

The Government has been working with the National Police Chiefs’ Council to produce a system which will provide forces with automated intelligence alerts from the Police National Database (PND) on individuals working in policing. The Home Office has provided £1.5m for a proof of concept and an additional approximately £2m towards development of a pilot for this work, known as ‘Continuous Integrity Screening’, which some forces are planning to run before the end of this year. The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) is also considering how it may apply AI and automation capability in its processes’

In addition, the Government provides ongoing funding to the National Police Wellbeing Service to provide support to forces and individuals, including a National Police Workforce and Wellbeing Survey. This provides evidence-based insights into wellbeing, helping forces identify patterns in welfare issues and broader organisational risks, benchmark against national findings, and inform targeted wellbeing interventions. On top of ongoing funding, the Government is providing additional funding of £2.4m this year to the National Police Wellbeing Service to increase support to forces as set out in the Police Reform White Paper, including measures to help monitor and prevent welfare issues.

We are committed to ensuring the police have the capabilities needed to respond to violent disorder wherever it occurs.

Following the Summer 2024 disorder, His Majesty’s Inspectorate for Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services identified gaps in central public order mobilisation capability. It is important that we learn the lessons from the most significant public disorder in more than a decade.

We have delivered a package via the Police Reform White Paper to strengthen the National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC) and National Police Coordination Centre’s (NPoCC) intelligence, investigation, and co-ordination capabilities. This will equip police forces to respond rapidly to the needs of the communities they serve, enabling them to react in real-time to incidents and emergencies.

The Police Reform White Paper outlines that the National Police Service will have capabilities to direct and coordinate resources where disorder is widespread; ensure national mobilisation is more efficient and effective; and strengthen command, control, and strategic oversight across forces.

We continue to work closely with the NPoCC to ensure mutual aid arrangements can be mobilised effectively when required.

The Government does not disclose detailed information on protective security arrangements at specific sites, including funding levels. This reflects a long-standing policy designed to protect the integrity and effectiveness of security measures, as the release of such information could increase vulnerabilities and compromise site security.

In England, there were 137,520 full-time equivalent (FTE) police officers as at 30 September 2025. We are putting officers where the public expects to see them, back on the frontline keeping our communities safe. We are committed to delivering 13,000 additional neighbourhood policing personnel by 2029 and have already delivered more than 3,100 additional police officers and PCSOs into neighbourhood roles.

In addition, as part of our measures to tackle antisemitism, we have announced funding for an additional 500 FTE personnel in areas where we need them most.

The next data publication covering the police workforce as at 31 March 2026 will be released on 22 July 2026.

The Police Reform White Paper set out the Government’s commitment to introduce a new model for policing that is fit for the modern world, with the right policing in the right places.

Responsive local policing will be guaranteed through the creation of Local Policing Areas (LPAs), led by Local Policing Commanders, with a clear focus on the needs and priorities of the local communities they serve. We are also introducing a Local Policing Guarantee so the public knows they can expect the same level of service no matter where they live. The Independent Review of Police Force Structures, launched on 17 March 2026, will make recommendations on the number and configuration of police forces in England and Wales, including how the delivery of local policing can be optimised through LPAs. The Review will report its recommendations to the Home Secretary in the summer.

Community Safety Partnerships have played an important role in the local crime prevention landscape. As we review the future of local prevention work, we will seek to build on their strengths while creating a system that works more effectively as a whole. Partnership working at the local level remains central to our reforms and we are working across government to ensure policing and police governance bodies remain embedded within local systems.

The Police Reform White Paper set out the Government’s commitment to introduce a new model for policing that is fit for the modern world, with the right policing in the right places.

Responsive local policing will be guaranteed through the creation of Local Policing Areas (LPAs), led by Local Policing Commanders, with a clear focus on the needs and priorities of the local communities they serve. We are also introducing a Local Policing Guarantee so the public knows they can expect the same level of service no matter where they live. The Independent Review of Police Force Structures, launched on 17 March 2026, will make recommendations on the number and configuration of police forces in England and Wales, including how the delivery of local policing can be optimised through LPAs. The Review will report its recommendations to the Home Secretary in the summer.

Community Safety Partnerships have played an important role in the local crime prevention landscape. As we review the future of local prevention work, we will seek to build on their strengths while creating a system that works more effectively as a whole. Partnership working at the local level remains central to our reforms and we are working across government to ensure policing and police governance bodies remain embedded within local systems.

The Police Reform White Paper set out the Government’s commitment to introduce a new model for policing that is fit for the modern world, with the right policing in the right places.

Responsive local policing will be guaranteed through the creation of Local Policing Areas (LPAs), led by Local Policing Commanders, with a clear focus on the needs and priorities of the local communities they serve. We are also introducing a Local Policing Guarantee so the public knows they can expect the same level of service no matter where they live. The Independent Review of Police Force Structures, launched on 17 March 2026, will make recommendations on the number and configuration of police forces in England and Wales, including how the delivery of local policing can be optimised through LPAs. The Review will report its recommendations to the Home Secretary in the summer.

Community Safety Partnerships have played an important role in the local crime prevention landscape. As we review the future of local prevention work, we will seek to build on their strengths while creating a system that works more effectively as a whole. Partnership working at the local level remains central to our reforms and we are working across government to ensure policing and police governance bodies remain embedded within local systems.

The College of Policing is responsible for providing guidance and training to police. Whilst the police are operationally independent, this government is committed to ensuring the police have the capabilities needed to respond to violent disorder wherever it occurs. The disorder seen in Summer 2024 highlighted the importance of ensuring that policing has the capability to respond effectively to large-scale public order incidents. His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services subsequently identified shortcomings in central public order mobilisation arrangements. It is right that we take forward the lessons from the most significant period of public disorder in over a decade.

As part of the Police Reform White Paper, we have introduced measures to enhance the intelligence, investigative and coordination functions of the National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC) and the National Police Coordination Centre (NPoCC). These improvements will support forces in responding swiftly and effectively to emerging incidents and operational demands, helping them to better protect and serve their communities.

The White Paper sets out plans for the National Police Service to strengthen the way resources are coordinated during periods of widespread disorder, improve the effectiveness of national mobilisation arrangements, and enhance command, control and strategic oversight across policing.

The Government does not disclose detailed information on protective security arrangements at specific sites, including funding levels. This reflects a long-standing policy designed to protect the integrity and effectiveness of security measures, as the release of such information could increase vulnerabilities and compromise site security.

The Police Reform White Paper set out the Government’s commitment to introduce a new model for policing that is fit for the modern world, with the right policing in the right places.

Responsive local policing will be guaranteed through the creation of Local Policing Areas (LPAs), led by Local Policing Commanders, with a clear focus on the needs and priorities of the local communities they serve. We are also introducing a Local Policing Guarantee so the public knows they can expect the same level of service no matter where they live. The Independent Review of Police Force Structures, launched on 17 March 2026, will make recommendations on the number and configuration of police forces in England and Wales, including how the delivery of local policing can be optimised through LPAs. The Review will report its recommendations to the Home Secretary in the summer.

Community Safety Partnerships have played an important role in the local crime prevention landscape. As we review the future of local prevention work, we will seek to build on their strengths while creating a system that works more effectively as a whole. Partnership working at the local level remains central to our reforms and we are working across government to ensure policing and police governance bodies remain embedded within local systems.