Police have just one officer for every 698 people in Hampshire

HAMPSHIRE Constabulary has one of the worst ratios of police officers to residents in the whole of the country.
By The Newsroom
Published 26th Nov 2018, 13:58 BST
Updated 8th Jan 2019, 17:06 BST
Police in Hampshire have been campaigning for fairer fundingPolice in Hampshire have been campaigning for fairer funding
Police in Hampshire have been campaigning for fairer funding

Figures published by the Press Association, using Home Office data from May 2018, show that the police force has the fourth fewest officers per person, with one police officer for every 698 people.

Wiltshire had the worst figures, with one police officer for every 721 residents.

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Meanwhile, City of London Police had the best ratio, with one officer per 11 people.

Hampshire Constabulary said the figures support the force's repeated calls for fairer funding.

The force has undergone heavy cuts and is recognised as being £45m underfunded.

A spokeswoman said: '˜There is a direct correlation between funding and officer numbers.

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'˜This is just the latest evidence to support the case we have been making for fair funding.

'˜Given this context, it is a testament to the skill and dedication of our officers and staff who work so hard to serve the public that the force had been independently assessed as 'good' in all eleven areas of its performance '“ just one of twelve police forces to achieve that.'